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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



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UNITED STATES OP AMERICA. 



/GUIDE 



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TO 



TRUE HAPPINESS, ft? 

SHEWING, 4) 



I. That real happiness is only 
to be found in true religion, 
and tiie means to obtain it. 

II. That a right government of 
ourselves, and an improve- 
ment of our mental faculties, 

*■» are necessary to happiness, 
and that we may act up to 
the dignity of true religion. 

III. That the holy scriptures 
teach such precepts, and of- 
fer such subjects to our me- 
ditation, as are calculated to 
inspire us with true felicity. 

IV. A more plain description, 
both of the nature and fruits 
of religion. 




VII. Some considerations offer- 
ed, and rules to be observed, 
in order to a holy and hap- 
py life. 

VIII. The deceitful and alluring 
nature of sin, with its fear- 
ful consequences. 

IX. A short view of the wicked 
man's character, with a seri- 
ous admonition to all who 
know not God. 

X. Some concluding remarks. 



BY SAMUEL 'COATE. 

Happy art thou- Israel J who is like unto thee, 
people saved by the Lord? Dent, xxxiii. 29. 



PHILADELPHIA: 

PRINTED BY SOLOMON W. CONRAD. 



1804. 



^4 



$o\ 



.00 



PREFACE. 



HAVING been long impreffed with 
an idea that it was my duty to write upon 
the all-important fubjecl of religion, and 
leave fomething behind when I am dead and 
lying in the filent grave, that may fpeak and 
teach men the true way to happinefs — 

After difmiffing thefe impreffions for a 
number of years, at length I wrote fome 
detached pieces with no defign of continu- 
ing to this length : But afterwards I began 
to arrange thole detached parts under pro- 
per heads, and to collect them into a body, 
and by adding a number of thoughts more 
to each particular, have fwelled it to this 
fize. 

It is written in the plain fimple ftile that 
the author is accuftomed to make ufe of in 
his extempore addreffes, consequently thofe 
who are looking for eloquence or grandeur 
of diclion, will find but very little here to 
fatisfy their tafte. I have endeavoured to 
addrefs the reafon and conferences of men, 
to convince them how far preferable a life 
of communion with God, and the pleafure 



arifing from religious reflection is, to any 
fenfual happinefs that men can boaft of in 
this world, and to lay down thofe plain du- 
ties which (if attended to) will advance the 
foul in the pleafant way of holinefs and true 
happinefs here, and lead it to thofe rivers 
of pleasure that jlow at God's right-hand 
for evermore. I would recommend to my 
Chriilian reader to look often over the ele- 
ven rules neceffary to a holy and happy life, 
which he will find in the latter part of this 
treatife, and to try to frame his life accor- 
ding to them, and he will no doubt reap the 
advantage. But to conclude, if one foul 
jhould be convinced of his loft and undone 
eftate, or if one ihould date his converfion 
from the reading of this little book, or one 
be built up in holinefs and guided on more 
fafely in the pleafant way of duty and hap- 
pinefs, the author will be amply rewarded 
for all his labour and ftudy. 



A 

GUIDE 

TO 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 



INTRODUCTION. 

THERE is nothing more common 
among men, than an anxious defire for hap- 
piness ; but thofe means that the greater 
part of them are fo warmly purfuing in or- 
der to obtain it, are no ways qualified to 
make them happy, for nothing can admi- 
nifter true happiness but that which will 
give permanent contentment of mind. But 
in the enjoyment of earthly things, men may 
feel a momentary contentment, yet thefe 
being tranfitory in their duration, are no 
ways calculated to make their contentment 
permanent or lafting ; for if we have any 
thing in poffeflion to-day ever fo pleafing, 
an anticipation of our lofmg it to-morrow, 
will deprive us of a great fhare of our en- 
A 2 



6 A GUIDE TO 

joyment: for that which is highefl in our 
efleem, is mod painful to our minds to be 
feparated from. Then reafon, revelation, 
and our own experience, with one united 
voice, as well as a thoufand demonftrations 
around us daily, may evince to every think- 
ing mind, that true happiness does not con- 
fift in an enjoyment of the fleeting things of 
this world : fo true is that faying of our 
Lord, a man^s life consisteth not in the abun- 
dance of the things which he possesseth^ 
And with great propriety it may be faid 
that a man's happiness confifteth not in the 
abundance of the trifling vanities of fenfe he 
enjoyeth, for thofe are but empty bubbles 
that are broken by the fmalleft zephyr ; they 
are vapours that muftihortly be extinguifh- 
ed, or a fmoke that will foon evaporate in 
air ; yea, they are dry huiks that never can 
fatisfy the craving defires of an immortal 
foul. 

If we were to compafs the unknown 
bounds of the univerfe, to (bar into the im- 
m^afurabte heights, and fink into the fa- 
thoirJefs depths, and then continue our 
fearch over the wide extended earth in 
queft of happiness : the earth could cry out 
it is not in me, and the fea it is not in me ; 

* Luke xii. 15. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 7 

and the whole creation could fay, ye who 
feek for happinefs within the limits of my 
province, are feeking it where it is not to 
be found. But notwithstanding this fo high- 
ly valued treafure is not to be found in crea- 
ture enjoyments, yet God has formed us 
for happiness , and there is fomething in 
which it may be enjoyed : but be that what 
it may, it mull neceflarily include thefe 
conditions. 

Ill, It muft be agreeable and proper to 
human nature, and that which fenfelefs and 
brute creatures do not partake of. 2d. It 
muft be that which in itfelf will give full con- 
tentment of mind, without any other enjoy- 
ment abftra6l from it. 3d. It muft be in our 
power to attain or retain at pleafure ; for 
who would think it worth his while to feek 
for that which is out of his power to ob- 
tain ; and on the other hand, it is fomething 
that we may not be difpoffeffed of, when 
gotten, by the changes of fortune or the ca* 
prices of men. 

He, who in his fearch for happinefs, can 
find any thing in which thefe properties 
meet, fhould fo highly value that treasure 
as to fell all that he hath and purchafe that 
field where it is. - ^ It is true, every man 

* Matt. xiii. 44. 



8 A GUIDE TO 

propofeth fomcthing to himfelf, which if he 
could arrive at, he would think himfelf a 
happy perfon. But if thefe objects of pur- 
fuit are of an earthly kind, his alluring 
prof pedis are fomething like the rain-bow, 
which frequently appears near at hand, but 
as you advance towards it, it recedes from 
you ; and even if he arrives at thofe defired 
objects, they are generally like the mining 
bubble upon the ftream, which you no foon- 
er touch than it breaks. 

One is aiming at nothing higher than a 
great deal of jollity and mirth ; to be with 
merry companions employed in idle talking, 
and fo to pafs the time away* Another 
is feeking for little elfe than to have at all 
times a loaded board and a flowing bowl, 
and thus like the Ifraelites, to eat and to 
drink, and rise up to play.* He is away to 
the different fceneries ofdivcrfion or enter- 
tainment; gambling or dancing whole nights, 
or feafting his eyes at the theatre, while 
ilage actors are difplaying their parts ; or 
elfe to fome other amufements equally de- 
grading to human nature, of which there 
are thoufands invented by the corruptions 
of men, not to fpeak of thofe beftial prac- 
tices of gluttony, drunkennefs, or going 

Exodus xxxii. 6. 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 9 

to houfes of ill fame, bringing a difgrace 
upon human kind and ftamping an eternal 
odium upon their own characters. Some 
are defiring indolence or an exemption 
from all trouble, like the epicureans, and are 
faying, Soul take thine ease, &f c* Others 
defire a kind of wifdom like the ftoics, that 
puffeth up ; while they are deftitute of the 
charity that edijieth^ One fixes his mind 
upon wealth and abundance ; another upon 
honour and ftate ; and a third purfues with 
all his might, fome particular courfe of life, 
as a trade or a way of bufmefs, which if he 
could bring to perfection, he fuppofes he 
fhould have his defires fully anfwered : 
there are a multitude of thefe kinds of fan- 
cies, which many men efteem their chief 
good, or that are the ut mo ft fcope of their 
willies. But very frequently they get dis- 
appointed in thofe things they fet the high- 
eft value upon, fometim.es cannot reach 
them, and even if they attain to them, they 
do not anfwer to their high expectations ; 
fometimes in grafping after high things, 
they get funk into the loweft and moil igno- 
ble ftate of poverty and fhame. 

* Luke xii. 19. f 1 Cor, viii. 1. 



10 X GUIDE TO 

" They leap at ftars, and faften in the 

mud ; 
At glory grafp, and link in infamy." 

It is acknowledged that there is a kind of 
pleaftire in letters or fcience, which is a- 
greeable to human nature, calculated to 
raife the mind in contemplation of the 
great Creator's works and providences, and 
this pleafure is not fo nearly allied to that 
of the unreafonable and brute creatures as 
many others. There is alfo a pleafure to 
be received in moral and focial duties, un- 
derftanding the fcienceof ethics, and ac- 
quainting ourfelves with the principles of 
theology: fome take a lingular delight in 
frequenting churches, facraments, fermons ; 
in reading the fcriptures, in alms,- prayers, 
confeffions, and the like. It muftbe con- 
feffed that the perfons purfuing thefe cour- 
fes for happiness, have a far more refined 
tafte than the voluptuary or fenfualift, and 
that thefe things are commendable in them- 
felves, and come nearer to the central point 
of happiness, in as much as they lean fur- 
ther from fenfuality. But thefe are not the 
chief good, but only the outward drefs and 
trimmings, as it were, of it ; and many or 
all of them may be found in the moft un- 
happy, and cannot therefore be true felici- 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 11 

ty : this happy ftate of mind is not confined 
to any one condition in human life, for 
whether we are in our perfons healthy or 
difeafed, our fortunes rich or poor, it is all 
one, for in every condition of life we may 
obtain the chief good, and for that reafon 
be no ftrangers to happiness. 

HAPPINESS TO BE FOUND IN TRUE RELIGION, 
AND THE MEANS TO OBTAIN IT, 

HAVING fought after felicity where 
it is not, it remains that we fearch for it 
where it is to be found. All mankind have 
a natural and ardent thirft for it: and 
whence arifes this defire, or from what 
caufe ? It may be prefumed from this, God 
created them to enjoy that in which true 
happiness confifts, they by difobedience 
have feparated themfelves from it, and ne- 
ver can enjoy true felicity till they come in 
pofleflion of it again. Some define this to 
be our greateft good, and fome our chief 
end ; and others that which alone can fatif- 
fy all our defires : all this and much more 
is true, and yet we are none the wifer, for 
the queftion is ftill what this wonderful 
thing is, in which all thefe excellent pro- 
perties are to be found : in this it is like as 
it is with a way-faring man f who being afk« 



12 A GUIDE TO 

ed whither he is going, anfwers one I am 
going to my journey's end, and to another, 
I am going where my buiinefs lieth ; and 
to a third, I am going to a place, which 
when I come to, I need go no further. 
All this may be true, and yet he hath not 
told where he is going. If he was to 
fay, I am going to Philadelphia, New- 
York, or Bofton, he would fatisfy the en- 
quirer. But now it remains to be fpecific, 
and fhew what true happiness conlifts in, 
without any farther prolixity. 

If we would find real happiness , we muft 
feek for it in true religion, in the knowledge 
of God, and in an earneft expectation of 
future blifs. All things upon the earth are 
litde, narrow, and fhort in their duration ; 
but every thing in religion is vaft and infi- 
nite, calculated to make the foul happy who 
poffeffes it : what can be more fo than to live 
always with God, and to have a perpetual 
joy flowing from him as the fpring of life 
itfelf ? Here as in a glafs we behold the bell 
and mod deiirable obje6ts ; its revelations 
refrefh and bear up our fpirits : we may with 
the moft ravifhing delights, lay out our 
whole thoughts upon heavenly things.... 
here we have the moll healing remedies 
againft all the miferies of human lite, a re- 
lief for every agony of the mind, and a com- 



TRUE HAPPINESS. If 

fort in every time of diftrefs ; whereas to 
be rich and honourable, to be wife and pow- 
erful, will never pacify one troubled thought, 
becaufe they are only the creatures of fancy. 
But the principle of religion fmks deeper 
into our reafon, and acquaints it with the 
glad tidings of a better life to come. Re- 
ligion is ufeful in all conditions of life ; a 
comfort in profperity, the greateft relief in 
adveriity, a fure guide in health, and a 
faithful friend in affliction. It adminiflers 
the moft reviving cordials to the fainting 
foul, and prefcribes fuch rules of life as 
will never fail, if they are carefully purfued, 
of their intended end \ neither can a religi- 
ous man ever be difappointed in his faith- 
ful expectations, for God has promifed him 
much more than has entered into his heart 
to conceive the greatnefs of. 

Hence we may fay of religion, it is preg- 
nant with wifdom and happinefs, it is ad- 
mirably confonant to the defires, as well as 
the needs of human nature. It is this alone 
that anfwers to the marks laid down in the 
foregoing rules forjudging what true hap- 
pinefs confifts in. It is agreeable and pro- 
per to human nature ; it reftores man to 
his true dignity; it raifes him above the 
level of the brute creation. But if he was 
to enjoy nothing but fenfual pleafures, 
B 



14 A GUIDE ¥* 

wherein would his happinefs exceed theirs. 
But this religion makes us partake of the 
likenefs of our Maker ; it is the mod fu* 
perexcellent in its kind ; the pearl of great 
price,* the treasure hid in a field ;\ the piece 
ef silver that was lost ; and it is comparable 
to gold, yea, tojine gold. 

And further, it is that which can givfr 
full contentment of mind without any other 
enjoyment abftra£t from it, for if we are 
poffeffed of this, and deflitute of every 
thing elfe, we may feel ourfelves happy. 
If we were ftripped of all our earthly pro- 
perty, like Job we could fay, the Lord gave 
and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the 
name of the Lord. \ If in addition to this 7 
we were afflifted in the manner that he was 
with the moft grievous and painful difeafe, 
we might fay with him, / knoxv that my 
Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at 
the latter day upon the earth : and though 
after my skin, -worms destroy this body, yet 
in my flesh shall Lsee God, xvhom I shall see 
for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and 
not another.^ In the enjoyment of religi* 
on alone, a rational mind can feel fatisfac- 
tion fufficient to compenfate him amply for 

* Matt. xiii. 44. 46. f Luke XV. 9. 
\ Jobi. 21. || Job xix. 25. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. IS 

all the pains and trouble he has been at, ei- 
ther to attain or retain this invaluable trea- 
sure. 

It is alfo that which may be attained by 
the children of men in fpite of every oppo- 
fmg enemy ; if they can but obtain their 
own confent. It is a blefling alfo that is in 
their own power (as moral agents) to keep, 
through all the changes of fortune, and 
the evil defigns of wicked men, for who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ? 
shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, 
Qr famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sxvord? 
I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, 
nor angels, nor principalities, nor poxvers, 
nor things present, nor things to come, nor 
height, nor depth, nor any other creature 
shall be able to separate us from the love of 
God, which is in Christ Jesus onr Lord.* 
As it cannot be obtained without our 
own confent, fo neither can it be wrefted 
from us, without our taking an active part 
in it. 

This religion is agreeable to the fa- 
culties of men ; infinitely ferviceable to the 
content and tranquility of the mind; it is 
fuch a thing as every wife man would chufe 
as mod becoming the dignity of a rational 

Horn. viii. 35. 33, 39. 



16 A GUIDE TO 

being, and moft conducive to his felicity. 
It rids the mind of all irkfome and vexati- 
ous thoughts; exempts men from the troubles 
and tumults of difquieting paffions : It frees 
the confcience of all fad reflections, difarms 
death of his terrors, and gives them a fair 
profpect of the kingdom of heaven beyond 
the grave : Yea, it is the greateft fpring of 
joy and pleafure, it makes them godlike, as 
well in the happinefs as in the purity of 
their lives. In ihort it has all the amiable 
and exalted qualities in it, calculated to 
prevail on the reafon and affections of man- 
kind. 

Having defined religion to be the only 
vehicle of 'true happiness > it remains to fhew 
what pure religion is ; for this may be coun- 
terfitted as well as happiness itfelf. As there 
are thoufands who are contenting them- 
felves with an imaginary felicity, like the 
fool in the gofpel, faying to their fouls, ye 
have much goods laid up in store for many 
years , take your ease, eat, drink, and be mer- 
ry \ fo there are thoufands, it is to be fear- 
ed, who are reftingfatisfied upon their bare 
conceits and notions about religion, and 
when they come to die, will find them- 
felves as miferably undeceived as that rich 
farmer, when the voice came like thunder 
feurfting over his head, thou fool, this night 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 17 

thy soul shall be required of thee,* who in- 
ftead of entering the ambrofial fields of pa- 
radife, and walking the golden ftreets of the 
New Jerufalem, as they have fondly hoped 
for and expected, muft find a wide entrance 
through the gates of hell, into the blacknefs 
of darknefs for ever. 

Then it is a matter of infinite impor- 
tance that we be convinced, of what the na- 
ture of true religion is ; for happinefs is not 
to be found in our falfe notions of it, but in 
real religion itfelf. If we fhould build our 
hopes upon names, baptifms, or forms, we 
(hall be like the foolish man which built his 
house upon the sand, and the rain descended, 
and the foods came, and the winds blew, and 
beat upon that house, and it fell; and great 
was the fall ofitt\ A name, or belonging 
to a Chriftian fociety will not fave us, for 
the apoftle exprefsly declares, that there is 
none other name under heaven given among 
men, whereby we must be saved,% but the 
name of Chrift. It is not our baptifm that 
will fave us, for Simon Magus was bapti- 
zed with water, and afterwards had neither 
part nor lot in the matter ; and the apoftle 
B 2 

* Luke xii. \9, 20. fMatt.vii. 2$. 27. 
J Aclsiv. 12. 



18 A GUIDE TO 

perceived that he was in the gall of bitter- 
ness, and in the bond of iniquity.* It is not 
our going through a few ceremonies or 
rounds of duty that will conftitute us the 
favourites of heaven, for by the deeds of the 
law there shall no flesh be justified in his 
sight :f And fays the apoftle again, not by 
works of righteousness rvhichwe have done y 
but according to his mercy he saved us, by 
the washing of regeneration, and renewing 
of the Holy Ghost.% Thofe webs of our 
own fpinning can never be woven into a gar- 
ment that will recommend us when Chrift 
ihall examine his guefts : thofe ladders of 
our own contriving are not fufficient to en- 
able us to climb up to true felicity. 

Religion is an union with God and a par- 
ticipation of his divine nature : But is he 
the Potter and we the clay ? is he the bene- 
factor and we the penfioners ? and is he the 
fovereign and we the fubjecls ? then, as wc 
Hand in thefe different relations to him, in 
order that this union may be continued, 
and this nature be enjoyed, we muft acl in 
fubordination to his will and divine precepts, 
and cheerfully refign to his righteous pro- 
vidences and difpofals, faying in the lar- 

* A£s viii. 23« t Rom. iii. 20. 
\ Titus iii. 5. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 19 

guage of our Saviour, not my zuill hit thine 
be done** The whole of our troubles and 
diftreffes of mind arife from our oppofitioti 
to our Maker : this union with himfelf is 
what he originally intended for man ; but 
by fetting up our own wills as the go- 
verning principle of the foul, we have de- 
prived ourfelves of that union in which a- 
lone our proper dignity and true happiness 
confitts. 

Thisiswhatweunderftandbyjfo/r^r^//^/- 
cn and undejiled before God and the Father ;\ 
our Lord explains it in different words, but 
the fame in effect, viz. thou shalt love the Lord 
thy God, xvith all thy heart, and with allthij 
soul, and -with all thy mind, and thou shalt love 
thy neighbour as thyself. % But as mankind 
are naturally deftitute of this religion, the 
right of giving it is a prerogative that God 
has referved to himfelf alone, and beftows 
it upon none, only upon certain conditions : 
thefe are pointed out clearly in the books of 
the Old and New Teftament. 

The first, is a deep and confeious convic- 
tion of our guilt, of the multitude and magni- 
tude of our crimes, that from our very child- 
hood we have gone axvay from his ordinan- 

* Luke xxii. 42. f James i. 27. 
i Matt. xxii. 27. 39. 



20 A GUIDE TO 

ces and have not kept them j* and that 
thofe crimes have been committed againft 
the cleareft lfght and the greateft goodnefs ; 
this occafions the mod unfeigned humility 
of foul, and felf-abafement at the feet of the 
Almighty, and when our eyes are thus o- 
pened to fee things in their true light, we 
difcover the greatnefs and terriblenefs of 
God, in whofe fight angels fall down with 
reverence, and devils fear and tremble ; we 
view him as filling the unlimited bounds of 
fpace with his prefence, high as heaven 
what can we do; deeper thanhelL what can 
we know ;\ upholding all things by the word 
of his power ^ and by the hand of his pro- 
vidence, as the common Father and Bene* 
factor of all : taking notice of the moft mi- 
nute parts of his workmanihip, providing 
for the lilres of the field, and clothing them 
with greater beauty, than king Solomon 
poffeffed in all his glory , providing for the 
young ravens when they cry, and although 
uvo fparrows are fold for a farthing, not 
one of them falls to the ground without his 
notice, and that even the very hairs of our 
heads are all numbered by kim.\\ We not on- 
ly view his benignity, manifefted to thofe 

* Mai. iii. 7. t Job xi. 3. 

I Heb. i. 3. |! Matt. vi. 26. S7~ 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 21 

minute creatures, but particularly to the 
children of men ; that he feeds and clothes 
us continually, and protracts our breath 
every moment, has caft our lines unto 
us in pleasant places, and has given us a 
goodly heritage.* But above all, he so loved 
the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, 
that whosoever believeth in him, should not 
perish, but have everlasting life.\ 

Then if we contrail our own littlenefs 
with his greatnefs, and our own vilenefs 
with his goodnefs ; it is enough to bring us 
down into the duft before him, to fay with 
Ifaiah, -woe is me for I atgi undone, because 
I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in 
the midst of a people of unclean lips, for 
mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of 
Hosts.% The command of God is, Hum- 
ble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he 
shall lift you up*\\ Humble yourselves there- 
fore under the mighty hand of God, that he 
may exalt you in due time.** Bat this hu- 
mility does not confilt in outward appear- 
ance only, but it is a principle in the heart, 
produced by a knowledge of ourfelves : the 
oppofites to this are self conceit, vain glory , 
haughtiness of spirit, highmindedness, spi- 



* 



Pfal.xvi.6. fjohnui. 16. % Ifa. vu 5* 
II James iv. 10. ** 1 Peter v. 6. 



22 A GUIDE TO 

ritual pride, &c. but humility (trips us of 
thole great conceits we have had of our per* 
fons and performances ; by it we are 
brought to think diminutively of ourfelves, 
and that if we have received or done any 
good, all the glory belongs to him from 
whom every good and perfect gift is deri* 
ved. It teaches us to pry lefs into our 
neighbours faults and more into our own, 
in oppofition to the hypocrify of the fcribes 
and Pharifees, who could behold the mote 
in their brother's eye, but did not conlider 
the beam in their oxvn eye.* It makes us 
fpeak more fparingly of our own excellen- 
cies, and more charitably of others. It 
brings us to mourn over and bewail our 
manifold fins, and to exclaim againft our* 
ielves like Paul, wretchedman that Iam y 
tvho shall deliver me from the body of this 
death. f 

There are fome whofe lives have been 
upright, to outward appearance, having ne- 
ver run into thofe exceffes of riot with ma- 
ny others ; who, neverthelefs, when they 
have had a difcovery of themselves, in 
their true light, have been brought to ex* 
claim againft themfelves, as the greateft 
iinners that ever God fufferedto live ; rivers 

* Matt. vii, 3. f Rom. vii. 24. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 23 

§f tears have run down their cheeks while 
they poured their mournful complaints in- 
to the companionate bofom of their offend- 
ed Lord, like Peter, when he went out and 
wept bitterly^ invoking God in language 
fimilar to this, O God! I need not tell 
thee how r many or how great my fins have 
been, for thou haft been about my paths 
and about my bed, and fpied out all my 
ways. Thou art equally acquainted with 
thofe evils that have been lying dormant in 
the heart, buried up and concealed from the 
eyes of an obferving world, as well as thofe 
perpetrated upon the houfe top. I do not 
come to inform thee that I have finned, for 
thou knowefl what is in man^\ with every 
thought, and imagination of the heart, but 
in obedience to thy command, I come con- 
feffing my fins, believing that thou art faith- 
ful and just to forgive me my sins, and t& 
cleanse mcfro?n all unrighteousness. $ 

One, under thorough awakenings, is rea- 
dy to cry out, I deserve a thousand hells. 
It would be juft in thee to drive me into the 
regions of darknefs, and cover me with a 
thick cloud of thv wrath forever, and num* 
ber me with the hopelefs and defpairing 

* Matt. xxvi. 75. t John U. 25. 
$ 1 JohnU 9 V 



24 A GUIDE TO 

damned — I am a terror to myfclf — my fins 
are like a gathering itorm around me, and 
like a sulphureous cloud above me, from 
whence thunders roar and lightnings blaze, 
and portend eternal calamities. Where (hall 
my trembling foul flee to efcape the impend- 
ing ftroke ? — it is thou that I have offended, 
and it is thy wrath that I dread ; for there 
is no efcaping thy hand. If I ascend up into 
heaven, lo, thou art there ; if I make my bed 
in hell n behold, thou art there. If I take the 
wings of the morning, and dwell in the utter* 
most parts of the sea; even there shall thy 
hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold 
me. If I say surely the darkness shall cover 
me; even the night shall be light about me. 
yea, the darkness hideth not from thee ; but 
the night shineth as the day ; the darkness and 
the light are both alike to thee ;* wherewith 
shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself 
before the high God? Shall I come before him 
-with burnt offering*, with calves of a year old? 
fhall I preient unto thee thousands of rams 
or ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give 
my first born for my transgressions, and the 
fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?* Is 
{here no help — no hope ? Whither {hall I be- 

* Pfal. cxxxix. 8,9, 10, 11, 12. 
t Mich. vi. G> 7. 



TRUE HAPPINESS* 25 

take myfelf for fhelter, or fuccour ? that 
my head "were water s, and mine eyes a foun- 
tain of tears , that I might xveep day and 
night^ becaufe I have finned againft thee. 
Lord, be merciful to me a fmner. 

When our eyes are thoroughly opened, 
and we are brought thus to our fenfes to 
behold our loft and undone eftate, and that 
there is no efcaping the prefence of God, 
nor paying the debt due to divine juftice, 
we feel willing to have our names caft out as 
evil ; that men fhould efleem us the off- 
fcouring of all things, to do and eventofuf- 
fer any thing, fo that we may glorify God, 
and be faved upon any conditions. 

We are not then for confining God to 
our own terms, and prefcribing certain rules, 
by which he fhall fave us, but we cry out, like 
the jailor, when the terrors of Godfet them- 
felves, in dread array before him, all trem- 
bling as he was, what must I do to be saved?* 
or like Saul of Tarfus, when he was going 
with a blood-thirfly fpirit to Damafcus, and 
that powerful Jefus whom he had perfecut- 
ed, met him on the way, and fmote him to 
the ground, faying, Saul, Saul, why perse- 
cutest thou me?* and then, when he was a 

* Jer, ix. I. t A&sxvi. 30. $ Ads Ix, 6. 
C 



26 A GUIDE TO 

little recollected, and knew who it was that 
fpake, he faid, Lord, xuhat wilt thou have vie 
to do? we are made willing to cut off our right 
hand and to pluck out our right eye, and cast 
them from us,^ i. e. to break oft' from every 
fin, even if they are as pleafmg and as pro- 
fitable to us as either of thefe ; and alfo to 
follow the Lamb, whitherfoever he goeth,f 
however great the crofs may be ; yea, if it 
fhould be contrary to the inclination of 'fa- 
ther, mother, wife, or children, and all our 
near and dear connections in life, we muft 
feek to pleafe Chrift in preference to any of 
thefe. 

We are made willing to renounce the hid* 
den things of dishonesty, \ with all superflu- 
ity of naughtiness, and to receive with meek* 
ness the ingrafted word \\ of life. We clearly 
difcover that a round of outward duties will • 
not bring us into the poffeffion oi\S\2Xpearlof 
great price. But to this man will Hook, faith 
God, even to him that is poor, and of a con* 
trite spirit and trembleth at my word:** and 
he saveth such as be of a contrite spirit. \f 
He delighteth more in a broken heart than 
in the blood of bullocks and of rams ; for 

* Matt. v. 29. 30. t Rev. xiv. 4. 

\ 2 Cor. iv2 2. || Jam. i. 21. 

** Ifau lxvi. 2. ft Ptol. xxxiv. 18. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 27 

nothing but a deep and unfeigned forrow 
for fin will anfvver : under this work of 
repentance we feel as if we would be willing 
to part with houfes and lands, and all other 
conveniencies of life, and live inafequefter- 
edftate, from all our circle of acquaintances 
infomefolitary wildernefs or lonely place, if 
it was required, or even to endure corporeal 
punifhment for the fins we have committed 
againft fo good and merciful a God ; we then 
freely offer up all our Babylonifli garments 
and golden wedges ; all our Agags are at 
once deftroyed ; we come with fubmiffive 
wills — with humbled fpirits — with broken 
hearts ; and, with our tearful eyes lifted up 
towards heaven, crying out with the publican 
God be merciful to me a sinner 1% or like Pe- 
ter, Lord save me\ or Iperish ; or as the blind 
men did, have mercy onus, Lord, thou sen 
of David it and with the prodigal, Father, L 
have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 
and am no more "worthy to be called thy son, 
make me as one of thy hired servant s.\\ 

Secondly. We are now made fenfible that 
it is not by xvorks of righteousness xvhich we 
have done, but according to his raercij he 
saveth us by the xv as king of regeneration 

* Luke xviii. 13. f Mat%, xiv. SO. 

t Matt. xx. SO. || Luke xv. 14, Rfc 



28 A GUIDE TO 

and renexving of the Holy Ghost.* There is 
no work that we have done, that deferves 
God's favour or bleffing ; for our lives have 
been a fcene of rebellion, one continued 
courfe of wickednefs, and we hare merited 
the vengeance of God more than his favour : 
and even if we have done fome good deeds 
to ourfelves and our fellow-creatures, yet 
the probability is that thefe have fprung from 
difingenuous motives, either from pride or 
a defire of applaufe, or to gain fome fecular 
advantage : and admitting that they were 
done from the pureft intention, there is. 
nothing meritorious in an action ; our good 
deeds can never make any fatisfaclion to 
divine Juftice, or compenfate for the leaft 
fin that ever we have committed ; as Elihu 
faid in his fpeech to Job, If thou be righteous, 
what givest thou him, or what receiveth he 
of thine hand? thy wickedness may hurt a 
man as thou art, and thy righteousness may 
profit the son ofman.\ But our righteoufnefs 
can never profit God, he can derive no per- 
fonal advantage from any good action that 
we can perform. 

If falvation was by the works of the law, 
then Chrift need not to have died, but to 
repeat the apoftle's words, it is not by works, 

* Titns iii. 5* f Job. xxxv. 7, $» 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 29 

of righteousness that we have done, but by 
his mercy he faveth as, &c. There is 
nothing lefs than the blood of Chrift, as the 
Lamb slain from the foundation oftheworld,^ 
can atone for our fins, or recommend us to 
God ; and this will be the fcng of the 
faithful in heaven, unto him that loved us 
and xv ashed us from our sins in his own blood, 
and hath made us kings and priests unto 
God and his Father, to him be glory qnd 
dominion for ever and 'ever. ,\ And this blood 
of atonement never will be applied to the 
wafhing us from our fins, unlefs we believe 
with a heart unto righteousness. \ 

This faith is a fimple dependence on the 
promife of God, through his fon ; a giving 
credit to his veracity, as well as his divine 
ability to fave ; that what he has promifed, 
he is both able and willing to perform. If 
ye, being evil, know hoxv to give good gifts 
unto your children, hoxv much more shall 
your Father which is in heaven, give good 
things to them that ask him.\\ That we have 
as much power to believe, as we have to 
repent, in a proper manner before God, we 
prefume will not we difputed, if we attend 

* Rev. xiii. 8. f Rev. i. 5, 6. 

\ Rom. x. 10. || Matt. vii. 1 I. 

G2 



30 A GUIDE TO 

to a few particulars : it is altogether out o£ 
our power to repent, without beingfirft deep- 
ly convicted of. our loll and undone eftate, 
and this conviction is totally a work of the 
Spirit upon our hearts ; fo we cannot believe 
to our juflification, without firfl having the 
fallow ground of our hearts broken up by 
repentance, without feeling a proper humi- 
liation of foul, on account of our fins ; taking 
the one ftep paves the way for the other, fo 
we ought to afcribe glory to the unmerited 
grace of God, for the whole work of our 
falvation, from the beginning to its confum- 
mation. 

But although this whole work is effected 
by the afii fling grace of God, yet this need 
not be an excufe for any to neglect it ; for 
we do not learn from the facred oracles, 
that he ever withholds- this affiflance from 
any, unlefs they abfolutely refufe to yield to 
its facred emotions, and fay in their hearts, 
we will not have this man ta reign over us.* 
In fuch cafes he fometintes leaves them to 
a judicial blindnefs, as he did the pharifees, 
who fliut their eyes againfl the light. But 
he always flands ready to do his needy crea- 
tures good, whenever they are willing to 
receive good at his hand. 

* Luke xix. 14. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 31 

That repentance is an aft of the crea- 
ture, we cannot doubt : although it is im- 
poffible to repent without the grace of con- 
viction firft, yet we are informed that the 
manifestation of the Spirit is given to every 
man to profit withal.* And the grace of 
God that bringeth salvation, hath appeared to 
alt men; teaching us that denying ungodli- 
ness and worldly lusts, we should live sober- 
ty* righteously and godly in this present 
-world '.j Which implies that God has given 
us fufficient ability and has left it to our 
own choice whether or no we will repent, 
and has made this one of the main conditi- 
ons of our acceptance, repent and T be bapti- 
zed every one of you in the name of Jesus 
Christ, for the remission of sins, andye shall 
receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.% Repent 
ye therefore, and be converted, that your 
sins may be blotted out, \\ &?c\ Noxv he com- 
mandeth all men every where to repent.** 
And except ye repent, ye shall all likewise 
perish.\\ 

Now if repentance is acknowledged to be 
an a6l of the creature, furely then faith 
mud be alfo, and to fay to the contrary 

* 1 Cor. xii. 7. \ Titus ii. 11, 12. 

\ A as ii. 38. || A&s iii. 19. 

** Ads xvii. SO. ft kuke xiit. 5. 



32 A GUIDE TO 

would be a fpeciesofantinomianifm ; fome 
wait for faith the fame as the impotent man 
waited lor fome one to put him into the 
pool, when the water was troubled, or as 
though it was to come upon them like a flafli 
of lightning from a diftant cloud, as though 
they were to be as paflive in it as they were 
in the gift of the 7voman\s seed, xvho was to 
bruise the serpents head.* And the conftant 
cry of fuch an one is, give me faith, give me 
faith, as though God was to believe in, or 
for them. One ingeniouflyobferves, u faith 
is no more the gift of the God of grace, than 
feeing is the gift of the God of nature." The 
God of nature gives us light to fee in, and 
organs to fee with, but we may hinder our- 
felves from feeing in different ways ; we 
may hide in fome dark room or cellar, 
we may put a veil over our faces, or {hut 
our eyes againft the light, and fo not be 
benefitted by it, although it fhines all a- 
round us : fo God has given us his beloved 
Son, as the Saviour of the world, and his 
divine promifes to believe in, and fufficient 
power to believe with, then it remains for 
us to exercife.the grace and ability given, 
and believe to the faving of our fouls. 

* Gen. ill* 1 5. 



* — 



f=U ^ *^ TRUE HAPPINESS. 



33 



Believing and disbelieving are the grand 
conditions upon which our salvation and 
damnation are fufpended. If believing was 
not our own aft, and optional with us whe- 
ther to do it or leave it undone, why would 
it belaid, he that believeth not shall be damn- 
ed.* What! will God anathematife and 
damn the fouls of men eternally, for not 
doing what is out of their power to do ? this 
would be making the conditions of the gof- 
pel, harder than the conditions of the law, 
for the law given to Adam only required 
perfeft human obedience. But if faith is 
the gift of God, and not an aft of the crea- 
ture, in the manner it is held out by fome, 
then the gofpel requires us to do the work 
of an Almighty God, or that which none but 
God can do for us, and then binds the fen- 
tence of eternal damnation upon us, for not 
doing what we have never had an ability to 
perform : this certainly can never be admif- 
fibi&j we muft view it in a different light. 

We have already obferved that no one 
can believe with t\iz.t faith which juftifies 
the ungodly, unlefs the foundation of re- 
pentance is firft laid, for otherwife it would 
preclude the neceffity of repentance alto- 
gether ; then when the work of contrition 




Mark xvi. 16. 






34 A GUIDE TO 

is wrought in the heart, and we feel our- 
felves to be loiJ and undone finners, we 
are informed in fcripture, that the Son of 
Man came to seek and to save that which 
tvas lost.* Herein we difcover him to be 
a Saviour fuited to our neceffity, do we 
feel ourfelves to be condemned and guilty, 
we are told God was in Christ, reconciling the 
world unto himself, not imputing their tres- 
passes unto thera.\ Are we filled with the 
moft poignant grief and forrow of heart, It 
is faid, surely he hath borne our griefs, and 
carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him 
stricken, smitten of God, and afflict ed.% Or 
are we preffed down with an intolerable 
weight of fin, as a cart is pressed that 
is full of 'sheaves, ,!! the promife is, Come un- 
to me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, 
and I will give you rest.** So that in fhort 
Chrift is made unto us every thing that we 
need, and it only remains for us to believe 
this with a heart unto righteousness,, and . 
then we ihall be brought into a happy ft ate. 
Chrift has paid the price that divine juftice 
d^ . vnded ; Chrift has borne the ftroke due 
to the fins of the whole world, and Chrift 
has reconciled God to man : now fays the 

* Luke xix. 10. \% Cor. v. 1 9. % Tfa. liii. 4. 
II Amos. ii. IS. ** Matt, xi. 28. 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 3S 

apoftle, xve pray you in Chris fs steady be ye 
reconciled to God.* The grand point is, for 
man to come to a reconciliation with his 
Maker, (i. e.) to be reconciled to the plan 
of falvation by fimple faith alone in his 
Son. 

Then when we find ourfelves arrefted as 
infolvent debtors, we can do nothing elfe 
but believe ourfelves exonerated from eve- 
ry claim, and acquitted from all the de- 
mands ofjuftice, in virtue of the price paid 
by the Son of God. When w r e behold the 
impending ftroke of God's awakened dif- 
pleafure, ready to light upon our wretched 
fouls for ever — in this fituation we can do 
nothing, but believe that Chrift ftept in be- 
tween the Father's wrath and us, for it pleas* 
edthe Lord to bruise him, he hath put him to 
grief when his soul was made an offering for 
fin.f Then he has borne this juftice himfelf ! 
and we are made free ! The moment we caa 
venture to believe this, our burdens will 
drop off— our conferences will be acquitted 
from every clamorous charge againft us — 
an intercourfe will be opened between hea- 
ven and our fouls, and we fhall behold the 
glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ 9 \ 

* 2 Cor. v. 20. f Ifa, liii. 10. 

,4 2 Cor. W. §. 



36 A GUIDE TO 

The vileft firmer within the reach of mer- 
cy that lives, if he feels himfelf loft and un- 
done, and comes to God, with a broken 
heart, and can by any means perfuade him- 
felf thus to venture on Chrift and believe 
that he is acquitted before the Father, for 
what Jefus has done and fuffered, will feel 
immediately the anfwer of peace, and the 
love of God shed abroad in his heart by the 
Holy Ghost.* We are apt to believe that we 
shall be acquitted, and that God will be 
reconciled ; but it remains for us to believe 
that we are acquitted, and that God is now 
reconciled ; for the work of redemption does 
not remain to be done, it is already erfe&ed. 
It was finiiried when Chriit Jefus expired 
on the crofs; and the onlyreafon that keeps 
a broken hearted penitent from feeling this 
reconciliation, is his difbelievmg what 
God has fopofitively declared ; all that God 
charges him with in this Rate, is his unbelief; 
and as foon as this is done away, then eve- 
ry bar of hindrance is removed, and God 
is well pleafed with him through Chrift. 

But fome fincere fouls may labour under 
the impreiiion, that it would be prefumtion 
for them to believe in the manner defcribed : 
we might alk, what other w T ay of believing 

Rom. v. 5. 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 37 

is there ? View it in what point of light we 
will, can faith be any thing elfe ? is it prefump- 
tion then to obey the command of .God? 
rather is it not greater prelum ption to doubt 
of his veracity, and to continue in unbe- 
lief, which is a breach of that plain com« 
mand, believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and 
thou shalt be saved.* 

Satan avails himfelf of any art or device, 
to keep poor fouls fall bound in the 
chains and fetters of unbelief; he would 
fain make them believe their duty to be a 
fin, and reprefent the adorable Father of 
the spirits of allfesh to be a liar, like man, 
altogether mutable and guilty of duplicity, 
declaring and promifing, without a iincere 
intention to perform what he has promifed. 
Timorous fouls are very apt to be afraid of 
deceiving- themfelves if they believe ; true if 
they believe without repentance, with an an- 
tinomian, dead faith, they will furely be de- 
ceived : but if they are truly humbled and bro- 
ken-hearted penitents, they cannot believe 
too foon : now only take notice, God on the 
one hand makes it our duty, and commands 
us to believe ; and it is the bufmefs of Satan 
on the other hand, to keep us in unbelief. 
D 

* Ads xvi. 31.. 



38 A GUIDE TO 

Judge then, are we more likely to be de- 
ceived by obeying God, than we are by lif- 
tening to the fuggeftions of the adverfary 
of God and man, furely not ; therefore we 
need wait no longer, for we cannot make 
ourfelves any fitter for divine mercy, and 
if we attempt to do it, this will only be offer- 
ing an infult to the Redeemer of the world, 
as though his blood was not fufficient to re- 
concile us to God. Let us call away all 
idea of merit, and ftrip ourfelves of every 
plea, only, this is a faithful saying, and 
•worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus 
came into the world to save sinners.* And 
xvhen -we were yet without strength, in due 
time, Christ died for the ungodly /\ That 
as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder- 
ness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, 
that whosoever believeih in him should not 
perish, but have eternal lifc«% So that every 
ferpent-bitten Ifraelite, all who feel the in- 
venomed poifon of the ftmg of death, all 
that are fenfible of the many deadly wounds 
that are made deep in their confciences ; 
and all who feel their painful bruifes from 
the crown of the head, to the foles of their 
feet, may here find a healing remedy for 
all their maladies ; only by looking at the 

* Tim* i. 15. t Rom. v. G. ^Johuiii. 14 3 15. 



THUE HAPPINESS. 39 

bleeding Lamb of God upon the crofs, look 
unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the 
earth, for I am God, and there is none else.* 
But a very common objection made to 
this doctrine of faith is, " How can we 
believe before we feel the witnefs." Thofe 
perfons furely miftake the nature of jufti- 
fying faith altogether, for the witnefs of the 
fpirit is the effect, and this juftifying faith 
is the caufe ; for we cannot receive any 
blefling of this nature, only through the me- 
dium of faith; can we then reafonably ex- 
pect the effect to be produced before the 
caufe ? this would be contrary to every rule 
of common fenfe, and can by no means be 
admitted; for if the witnefs of the fpirit may 
be obtained, and the blefling received, be- 
fore we believe or rely on the merits of 
thrift, and truft in the veracity of God ; 
this goes to exclude the neceflity of that 
faith which juftifies the ungodly altogether. 
True, after we receive the inward witnefs, 
we have the affurance, and can fay with the 
prophet, though thou wast angry with me y 
thine anger is turned azvay, and thou com* 
fortedst ?ne.\ It is this which enables us 
to fay, we know that tve have passed from 
death unto Hfe*X &c. but it is a reliance on 

* Ifa. xlv. 22. f Ik. xii. I. t I John iii. 14. 



40 A GUIDE TQ 

the goodnefs and mercy of God, that be- 
gets this affurance. 

A ftriking proof of the efficacy of faith 
we have in the inftance of the man with the 
withered hand, who came to our Lord. 
Stretch forth thine hand,* faid Jefus ; now 
if the man had been as incredulous as ma- 
ny of us, he would have replied, why Lord 
thou knoweft that my arm is withered, and 
how can I ilretch it forth, doft thou de- 
mand impoffibiliti.es? heal it for me firll, and 
then I will ftretch it out, and believe that 
thou art able to perform the cure ; but we 
do not read of any fuch fcruples in his mind, 
for he believed that he who commanded 
him to do it, would give him fufficient 
power, although in fome fenfe, contrary to 
human probability : he made the attempt 
and it was done unto him according to his 
faith, his arm was made whole like unto 
the other from that very hour. God never 
gives a command, but where he gives pow- 
er to comply with it, and whenever we 
make the attempt and do what we can, the 
chief that he requires is a willing mind, and 
then he will aiiift our infirmities, and we 
fhall be enabled to believe to the laving of 
our fouls. 

* Mark in. 5. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 41 

Then we need not be a great while in ob- 
taining religion, as though we were to re- 
ceive it by the merit of our own works, nei- 
ther need we fay, who shall ascend into hea- 
ven, (that is to bring Christ doxvn from a- 
hove) or who shall descend into the deep, 
(that is to bring up Christ again from the 
dead) but what saith it, the word is nigh 
thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart, 
that is, the word of faith which we preach ; 
that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth, the 
Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart 
that God hath raised him from the dead, thou 
shalt be saved* 

Thefe are the two main conditions of the 
gofpel, and calculated to bring us into a 
ftate of happiness, for it may be noticed that 
a man never can enjoy true felicity until a 
thorough revolution takes place in his na- 
ture, till felf and fin are overcome, per- 
verfe nature mortified, and our ftubborn 
wills fubdued: as pride and unbelief were 
the two firft fins, and are the reigning evils 
that predominate in the unchanged heart — 
The firft condition, viz. humility or re- 
pentance, is the oppofite to pride, and de- 
signed to extirpate it from the foul, root 
D 2 

* Rom. x, 6, 7, 8, 9. 



42 A GUIDE TO 

and branch. And the fecond condition, 
viz. faith, is oppofite to our unbelief, and 
calculated to exterminate it totally from the 
heart. 

Now it is, having complied with thofe 
conditions, we have our fms blotted out,^ 
and our fouls juftified ;f the work of re- 
generation wrought in the heart,t and are 
tranilated from darknefs to light, and from 
the power of Satan, into the liberty of the 
children of God. This we call religion ; but 
as long as we are in this world, we are in 
danger of being overcome by thofe bufy en- 
emies, pride and unbelief-, for they may be 
confidered as the root from which all other 
evils grow ; fo that if we can get a tho- 
rough maftery over them, a complete revo- 
lution will be made in our natures, and a 
foundation will be laid for true and perma- 
nent happiness. But as long as we are un- 
der the influence of thefe evils, our whole 
fouls are out of tune, we are under the do- 
minion of finful paffions and propenfities. 
Our paffions being altogether diforganized, 
give oar fouls a wrong bias or a falfe tafte, 
and prevent them from deiiring orpurfuing 
thofe objecls that are fuitable to rational na- 
ture, and calculated to infpire the mind 

•Aflsiii.'lft, fEcm.v. L. \ John ui. 3. 5* T. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 43 

with true felicity. Then in order to our 
happiness, that we may retain religion, and 
always be doing the thing that is right, it 
is as neceffary that our passions fhould be 
duly regulated, as it is that the different 
parts of machinery in a watch, fhould ope- 
rate in unifon, or be properly regulated in 
order that fhe may point to the time of day. 

A right government of ourselves y and an im- 
provement of our mental faculties* necessa- 
ry to happiness, and that we may act up to the 
dignity of true religion* 

I. THAT we may be fuccefsful in this 
work of felf- government, the foul weeds of 
pride, malice, and envy, muft be rooted out 
of our hearts ; for thefe are totally devilifh, 
and did not originally belong to human na- 
ture ; and as much of them as we poffefs, 
fo many diabolical difpofitions ftill cleave 
to our fouls. But the three primitive paf- 
iions (as fome call them) viz^ admiration, 
love, and hatred, were originally defigned 
for our fervice, and add the trueft dignity, 
as \vell as the greateft happiness, to our 
fouls, if they are properly managed ; but in 
their vitiated ft ate, while uuder the domi- 
nion of fin, they introduce confufion into 
our confciences, irregularity in our lives, 



44 A GUIDE TO 

and mifery both in this world and the next : 
fo that the foul may be faid to be fubje6t to 
as many diforders as the body, and by na- 
ture is covered over with wounds and bruis- 
es, and putrefying sores : they have not been 
closed, neither bound up, neither mollified 
xvith ointment^ 

Thefe three primitive passions are the 
fpring from which all others, in fome way, 
take their rife ; and hence they are called 
derivative : admiration is excited by fome- 
thing new or ftrange — love, by fomething 
that has the appearance of good — and ha- 
tred, by that which is fuppofed to be evil. 
If thefe gently move us, we call them affec- 
tions ; if more ftrongly, they are called paffi- 
ons ; but if more boifteroufly, they are na- 
med perturbations : fo that thefe are one 
thing, called by three names, according to 
that degree of heat into which they put us. 

Virtue and knowledge will be neceffary 
to hold the bridle and govern their motions, 
to allay their heat, if they be tco violent, 
and raife them, if they be too low. The 
one that has but little knowledge, his admi- 
ration and wonder will be raifed at almoft 
every trivial circumflance, and fometimes 
when things happen a little out of the com- 

* Ifa. i. €. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 45 

mon way, his wonder will rife even to a- 
ftonilhment — things, that a man of exten- 
five knowledge would fcarcely take notice 
of. True, there are many phenomena, that 
occafion the admiration of the ableft philo- 
fophers, but if the mind is well flocked with 
information, we {hall not meet with fo ma- 
ny new things to excite our admiration, or 
to be wondered at. This kind of know- 
ledge is particularly neceffary to fet bounds 
to the raging of ourpaffions, when they are 
heightened by earthly things ; but a meafure 
of divine knowledge, or heavenly virtue, is 
alfo neceffary, in order to raife our cold af- 
fections to heavenly things ; for in confe- 
quence of our depravity, we are not fo much 
affe6led with things of this nature, as we 
are with fenfible objecls • it is neceffary al- 
fo, that we may difcern that which is truly 
wonderful, viz. the wifdom and goodnefs 
of God in the creating of all things out of no- 
thing, and in the redemption of fallen crea- 
tures from fin and mifery, and in all the 
great and glorious things that are revealed 
to us in the gofpel, fome of which angels 
defired to look into. 

Knowledge is alfo neceffary in the regu- 
lation of our love and hatred, becaufe, for 
want of it, we may be led to love that which 
is evil, fuppofing there is good in it, and 



46 A GUIDE TO 

hate that which is truly good, attaching to 
it fome ideas of evil ; and by thefe means 
be altogether in confufion and diforder. 
We read of fome who hate the light, and of 
others who love darkness ;* now this love 
and hatred fpring from their ignorance of 
the nature of both light and darknefs ; but 
this knowledge teaches us to place our fu- 
preme love on God, as the fource of all 
good : And here our love may be height- 
ened into adoration, and we are to love 
all creatures in fubordination to our fu- 
preme love to him ; we are to endeavour 
to love every thing fo far as it bears a rela- 
tion to, and reprefents the image or wifdom 
of the great Creator (i. e.) of things in this 
world : then Chriftians are next in our af- 
feclions, to God, becaufe they (land in the 
neareft relation to him, and poffefs moll of 
his image ; being not only created and re- 
deemed by him in common with others, but 
alfo adopted into his family, and made heirs 
of God, and joint heirs with Christ*^ We 
may love them with the love of unity or 
feilowmip as children of the fame father, 
and engaged in the fame interefts with our- 
felves. Next to thefe the whole human 
race that are within the reach of mercy, the 

* John Hi. 19, 20. t Rom. viii. If. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 47 

vileft of them, and even our enemies are to 
fhare in our affections : Our Lord fays, love 
your enemies ; bless them that curse you, do 
good to them that hate you, and pray for 
them which despitefidly use you, and perse- 
cute you, that ye may be the children of your 
Father which is in heaven : for he maketh 
his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, 
and sendeth rain on the just and on the un- 
just.* We are to exercife compaffion to- 
wards, and love them with the love of pity 
and commiferation: and next we are to feel 
an affection for all other creatures, as far as 
they fhew forth the wifdom and perfections 
of the Almighty. If we were to regulate 
our paflions according to this fyftem, then 
we fhould be freed from a thoufand inor- 
dinate affections ; fuch as an exceffive love 
of money, which the apoftle calls, the root 
of all evil, and an over fondnefs for meats 
and drinks ; which would be an excellent 
antidote againft gluttony and drunk ennefs, 
as well as a thoufand other fnares which in- 
ordinate love leads men into. 

As we have already obferved, we are to 
love all the creatures of God, fo that none 
of them are to be the objects of our hatred ; 
but we are only to hate that which fits itfelf 

*Matt. v. 44, 45. 



48 A GUIDE TO 

up in oppofition to our Maker, for his in- 
terefl ought to be ours ; fin is that principle ; 
therefore we are to hate it with a perfect 
hatred. If we are tolerated to hate any body, 
it is ourfelves, in oppofition to that felf-love 
which leads fo many to deftruction, like Job, 
to abhor ourfelves, and repent in dust and 
ashes, ^ for the many great and crying fins 
that we have committed againft fo good 
and merciful a God, who hath fed us all 
our lives long unto this day, and redeemed us 
from all eviL\ 

Let us bend all thofe lawful and ufeful 
paffions of love, desire, joy, fear, anger, sor- 
row, and the like, to the duties of religion, 
and in this holy exercife let us fofter them 
as the hulbandman does the tender fhoots 
in his vineyard, and prune off all their luxuri- 
ant branches, keep them continually under 
the controulof reafon and the word of God, 
and alfo watch againft their wanderings 
and out-breakings ; let wifdom be like a bri- 
dle upon them, when they are unruly or 
headftrong; that we may guide them on 
like a well-managed horfe, through all the 
various paths of human life, that they may 
help us on to duty and happinefs. 

* Job lxii. 6. t Gen. lxviii. 15, 16. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 4$ 

If we would get the government over all 
our unruly passions, let us learn and prao 
tife the art of felt-denial, with regard to our 
appetites of every kind, and then we ihall 
gain an eafier government over them. Pafli- 
onhas its chief feat in animal nature, and is 
called byfome the foul's fenfations of fome 
commotions in animal nature, arifmg from 
the perception of particular objects : indeed 
they may be laid to be fenfible commotions 
of both foul and body ; then, in order that we 
may effectually check thofe evil motions 
that too often arife in our hearts, let us fub- 
due the flefh, mortify it, and bring it under 
;ubje6tion, in order to rule the fpirit ; for a 
pampered appetite fupplies the unruly 
paffions with new force, vigour, and obfti- 
nacy, and effectually prevents an exercife 
ofthe graces of moderation and temperance, 
which graces if praclifed, add very much to 
the dignity and happineis of human beings. 

A man, who means to maintain his inte- 
grity, and live a truly religious and happy 
life, muft guard carefully againil putting the 
reins in the hands of paffion, or being in any 
meafure under their controul ; for they are 
blind things at beft, and if the blind lead the 
blinds both shall fall into the ditch.^ And as 

* Matt. xv. 14. which fcripture may apply 
to blind paffions as well as to blind mini Iters. 
E 



50 A GUIDE TO 

far as we are under the guidance of paffion, 
fo far we misjudge all the objecls of them ; 
for they colour all thefe with very deep 
fhades, viz. the objects of our admiration or 
surprise; the objecls of our love, affection, 
or desire, and the objecls of our hatred, an- 
ger, or aversion; and fo of the reft. As thefe 
are fuch blind guides, we are to keep them 7 
at all times, under the control of reafon, 
which may be called the eye of the foul ; for 
if they fhould at any time over leap thefe 
bounds, they might be like fo many bed- 
lamites, breaking loofe from their confine- 
ment. There is no knowing how much evil 
we may fuftain, or how much mifchief may 
be done by them ; for, fays Solomon, He 
that hath no rule over his own spirit, is like a 
city that is broken down, and without walls .•* 
it may be noticed, that they are not only 
blind, but alfo depraved, and inclined to evil 
more than good; this is one reafon why we 
fhould keep a continual watch over them : 
our reafon is alio very much depraved and 
darkened, and cannot therefore be a fafe 
guide, only as far as it a£ls in fubordination 
to the revealed word of God. 

II. The next thing that comes under 
our notice, is the cultivation of our rational 

* Prov. xxv, 28. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 51 

powers ; for unlefs we improve our mental 
faculties, we may in vain hope for victory 
over our inferior appetites ; for there is no- 
thing elfe can compel them to defift from 
their wonted gratifications, but the fuperior 
force of reafon. The man who does not try 
to improve his genius, by purfuing fome ufe- 
ful branch of knowledge, will always be em- 
ployed in fomething idle ; for the mind of 
man is an a6tive principle, and if not bent 
to profitable purfuits, will be exerciling it- 
felf on things trifling ; hence a wide inroad 
for temptation ; and fuch a man's mind is 
comparable to a field, without a fuffici- 
ent inclofure, which the cattle, from the 
adjacent farms, from its eafy accefs, break 
into, and deftroy the crop of the indolent huf- 
bandman. Tfcis man certainly unfits himfelf 
not only for the duties of religion, but alfo 
for the common duties of human life, and 
renders himfelf a kind of ufelefs being upon 
earth ; yea, worfe than ufelefs, for inftead 
of Handing as a neutral, or doing any good, 
his unchecked appetites and his untutored 
mind, lead him to do a great deal of harm, 
both to himfelf and others. 

That we may acl up to the dignity of 
rational beings, our minds ought to be a 
kind oi empire % where laws of juftice mould 
be eftablifned; and if our wills fhould con- 



52 A GUIDE TO 

federate with and confentto the folicitations 
of the inferior appetites, then conference 
mould be the plaintiff, and alfo the arbiter, 
memory mould be the book of common 
laws, and reafon fit as the judge, and pafs 
fentence according to the verdict of con- 
fcience, upon will, the criminal, as he is the 
ringleader in all the mifchief, feeing that 
without his confent the reft could not act, 
and bind him and his accomplices with the 
ftrong ties of duty and revelation, and keep 
them in perpetual confinement, that they 
may never do the like again. 

Then, that our reafon may be duly cul- 
tivated, we may read various authors, hear 
gofpel fermons, and enter into converfati- 
on with men of experience : we do not 
mean though by fearching various authors, 
that we fhould run into aftronomical and 
philofophical refearches, or trace the te- 
dious annals of profane hiftory, or the 
perplexing labyrinths of dead languages, 
and the like ; thefe kinds of knowledge we 
may, or we may not obtain ; but let us take 
heed, while we are grafping for this tree of 
knowledge, that we do not lofe the tree of 
life. This w T ifdom, being but human, ferves 
to puff up and fwell the heart with pride, un- 
lefs it is that degree of it that is kept under 
the patronage of virtue : the wifdom that 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 53 

ferves to raife and elevate the affections to 
God, and to make us fomething like him, 
is what we would here recommend — It is 
what the apoflle James calls the wisdom that 
is from above — -first pare, then peaceable, 
gentle and easy to be intreated, full of mercy 
and good fruits, without partiality, and 
without hypocrisy.* It is what the wife 
man fo earneftly recommends, " wifdom is 
the principal thing : therefore get wifdom : 
and, with all thy getting, get underftand- 
ing ; exalt her and fhe fhall promote thee, 
(he fhall bring thee to honour when thou 
doft embrace her ; fhe fhall give to thy head 
an ornament of grace, a crown of glory fhall 
flie deliver to thee."f Again fays he, 
" happy is the man that findeth wifdom, and 
the man that getteth understanding ; for the 
merchandife of it is better than the mer- 
chandife of filver, and the gain thereof than 
fine gold ; fhe is more precious than rubies, 
and all the things thou can ft defire are not 
to be compared unto her ; length of days is 
in her right hand, and in her left hand rich- 
es and honour ; her ways are ways of plea- 
fantnefs, and all her paths are peace ; fhe 
is a tree of life to them that lay hold unon 
E 2 

* Jam, in. 1 7, f Prov. iv. 7, 8, 9. 



54 A GUIDE TO 

her, and happy is every one that retaineth 
her."* 

Let the books that we perufe be theologi- 
cal productions, and not merely to find out 
fpeculatives in divinity, but to improve our 
morals and to mend our hearts ; for diving 
much into theories and fpeculations often 
ferve to confufe the head, render the heart 
infenfible to every joyful and facred emoti- 
on, and take away that fweetnefs of temper 
which is congenial with the loving mind, 
that was in Jefus Chrift, and is by no means 
calculated to make us happy ; but it is ne- 
eeffary that we Ihould have a confiftent the- 
ory of religious principles, to keep us from 
being carried about rvith every xvind of doc- 
trine ;f for while the mind is in continual 
fluctuations and toffed upon the billows of 
a diverfity of opinions, it cannot be in a 
ft ate of true felicity. The apoftle exhorts 
us to prove all things^ and to holdfast that 
xuhich is good.% Whatever books we read, 
or whatever fermons or converfation we 
hear, like the bufy bee, let us be gathering ho- 
ney from every opening flower ; or, like the 
fifherman, gathering all that is good into 
our repofitories, and calling the bad away - 9 

*Prov. iii. 13, 14, 15,16,17, 18. f Eph. it. U. 
\'i Thef. v. 21. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 55 

remembering to feparate between the pre- 
cious and the vile. The memory may be 
confidered as the ftore-houfe of the foul, 
and, if we acl wifely, we will not crowd 
and burden it with trumpery, fuch as no- 
vels, romances, and the like, which are a 
great deal better forgotten than learned. 

III. That ourreafon maybe properly in- 
formed, let us devote ourfelves to the fcrip- 
tures of truth, to imbibe the heavenly fen- 
timents therein contained, and depofit this 
facrcd treafure up in our memories. Search 
the^ scriptures, fays our Lord, for in them 
ye think ye have eternal life, and they are 
they which testify of me :^ here we may 
find the beft information, the moft fublime 
fentiments, the pureft dodtrines, and the 
greatefi chain of harmony and confiftency, 
with a variety of other properties, fuited to 
our neceffities : it is like a hammer that 
breaketh the rock in pieces ;f it is quick and 
powerful, and sharper than any two-edged 
sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder 
sf soul and spirit, and of the joints and mar- 
rozv, and is a discenier of the thoughts and 
intents of the heart \% in itare peals of dread- 
ful thunder, roaring from Sinai's mount; 

* John r. 29. f Jer. xxiii. 29. 
£Heb, iv. 12. 



A GUIDE TO 



threatening us with devaftation on the one 
hand, to drive us like the avenger's fword, 
to the only city of refuge ; and, on the o- 
ther, there is a ftained crofs, an agonizing 
Jefus, and the moft foothing balmy promi- 
ses, like fo many cords drawing us on in the 
pleafant way of duty and happinefs, and haf- 
teningour efcapefrom theftormy wind and 
tempeft : there is a certain energy attending 
the word, that carries a conviction along 
with it, to every reader, that its origin is 
divine. 

Human reafon, without the fuperior aid 
of revelation, is not capable of finding out 
evangelical or heavenly truths ; for we are 
born into the world depraved and ignorant of 
every thing, both human and divine : know- 
ledge is communicative, and may I not fay 
that all we receive is by fenfe and revelati- 
on. As we are made up of various fenfations, 
we are capable of realizing many fenfible 
objects around us, and noticing their co- 
lours, fhapes, proportions, &c. but of know- 
ing nothing of their intrinlic properties, or 
thofe parts of them that lie concealed from 
our view, or that are not objects of fenfe : 
and hence we difcover the neceflity of re- 
velation ; by revelation here, we mean any 
account, information, orteftimony we have 
received from another, of a circumflance 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 57 

t>r thing that has not been an object of fenfe 
to us ; and all fuch revelations muft be 
through the medium of analogy, for we are 
not adequate to underftand any fuch infor- 
mation, onlv by adverting to fomething of 
the kind, or fome way refembling it, which 
we have either heard of, or feen before. 
By this kind of analogy, an image of the 
thing defcribed, is portrayed before the im- 
agination, the mind grafps and depofits it 
in the memory, and hence may we not fay, 
all human knowledge is communicated 
through the organs of fight and hearing, or 
fome of the other fenfes. The more we re- 
tain in our memories, of what we fee, read 
of, and hear, the more our mental powers 
are enlarged, and the greater is our expan- 
fion of thought. 

As man is not omniprefent, but is confi- 
ned within a limited circle, he may conjec- 
ture a thoufand things that never had, and 
perhaps never will have any exiftence ; but 
he is capable of determining the truth of 
nothing abfent or foreign from him, only 
by the credibility of teflimony ; then his 
reafon is to be called into action, to deter- 
mine whether this teftimony is fufficiently 
credible for him to form his judgment upon 
reflecting the truth of what has been re- 
vealed. 



58 A GUIDE TO 

From this view of an improvement of 
our mental faculties, how neceffary is it for 
youths to devote the morning of their days 
to the cultivating of their minds, before ri- 
per age comes upon them with its various 
infirmities ; a weakened memory, and a lofs 
of recollection : at which time they will be 
illy qualified to imbibe or inveftigate prin- 
ciples of truth ; for we fee old age very te- 
nacious of what it has received in young- 
er years, and indeed there is but very little 
probability that an old man will ever change 
the principles he has received in his youth, 
or alter his manner of life, unlefs it fhould 
be by fupernatural grace alone — a mere 
miracle. For, can the Ethiopian change his 
skin, or the leopard his spots, then may 
ye also do good, that are accustomed to do 
evil.* Hence a foundation is laid in the 
education of youth for their future, and 
may we not fay, their eternal deftiny. 

But to return to the infufficiency of hu- 
man reafon, to illuminate our path, or guide 
our unweary fteps, and point out evangelical 
truths to our minds, or to lead us through 
the mazes of error in this folitary wilder- 
nefs ; our reafon is not able to tesch us any 
thing only Avhat it has been taught by the 

* Jer. xiii. 2 3. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 59 

means before mentioned. Reafon was not 
given to us for a teacher, but only as aprin- 
ciple by which we may inveftigate the pro- 
priety or impropriety, the truth or the falfe- 
hood of what we are taught by comparifon, 
or a reference to circumftances, the truth 
of which have been fulticiently obvious to 
our minds before. 

For inftance, our reafon is not able 
to inform us of any circumftance relative to 
the North and South poles ; and why ? the 
reafon is obvious, becaufe no one has ever 
been in thofe places, to bring us informati- 
on, and we are left only to conjecture from 
what we have either feen, or heard from 
perfons who have tried to explore them, 
that they are cold regions of ice, &x. Our 
reafon cannot teach us what things are 
now happening in Europe, Afia or Africa; 
but the probability is, that we may gain 
fome knowledge of them hereafter, by re- 
port or information. How fhould we (in 
this country) ever have been able to have 
known any thing of the peculiar fituationof 
Egypt, of the overflowing of the Nile annu- 
ally, by the abundance of rain falling in the 
upper country of Ethiopia: or of thofe 
wonderful pyramids, thofe prodigious mon- 
uments of antiquity, in that country: or 
how fhould we have known any thing of 



60 A GUIDE TO 

the greatnefs, and of the deflruction of old 
Babylon, if it had not been for information ? 
How fhould we have known any thing of 
the geography of the world, if we had not 
feen maps, or read the hiftory of it, and 
the like ? indeed we are not capable of 
knowing any thing that happens in our own 
neighbourhood or family, unlefs we either 
fee, or are informed of it in fome way or 
other. 

Then our boaftedreafon can teach us no- 
thing, even of the things of this world ; 
much lefs the great and important things of 
eternity, viz. what eye hath not seen, nor 
ear heard, neither hath it entered into the 
heart of man* to conceive the greatnefs of ; 
in matters of faith and religion, we are de- 
pendent folely upon the oracles of divine 
truth or revelation for inftruclion ; fome 
pretend that their reafon teaches them that 
there is a God, and that it is their duty to 
pay homage to him. We may venture to 
deny the affertion that their reafon alone 
teaches them any fuch thing, for if they had 
never been informed any thing concerning 
God, or their duty to him, neither by ex- 
ternal nor internal revelation, i. e. by read- 
ing, hearing, or by the internal operations 

* 1 Cor. ii. 9. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 61 

of the grace of God upon the heart, they 
would have remained (in this world) as ig- 
norant of his being, and character, as the 
brutes that perifli. 

But how came Plato, Ariftotle, Seneca, 
and many of the Grecian fages, by their 
knowledge of God, and the moral duties ? did 
not the principle of reafon teach them thofe 
great leffons of truth which they diftributed 
among others ? To anfwer thia query we 
need only to obferve, their doctrines were 
partly true, and partly falfe, which fuppo- 
fes them partly human and partly divine, 
derived from information and conjecture ; 
we do not pretend to fay that their infor- 
mation was altogether correct, or that their 
conjectures were wholy falacious, but it is 
probable both the one and the other were 
partly right and partly wrong. The pure 
principles of truth can never fuffer any al- 
terations or additions from man, or pafs 
through the foul hands of human reafon, 
without tarnifhing in a great meafure their 
original luftre and beauty ; for human be- 
ings (efpecially in their vitiated ftate) are 
made up of fallibility, and whatever they 
do, the ftamp of weaknefs or imperfection 
is left upon it, as the fignature of the 
author. 

F 



62 A GUIDE TO 

But to return to thofe Grecian philoso- 
phers, what information did they receive 
concerning the principles of theology ? In 
the firft place, they were men of great lite- 
rary knowledge, they were alfo men, who 
were feeking for information from every 
quarter where it could be obtained. Plato 
was a confiderable traveller, and as fuchhad 
an opportunity, no doubt, of feeing fome 
of the difperfed Jews or Ifraelites, whither 
they had been fcattered into the different 
parts of the world ; for he lived after the 
Jewifn captivity. But it may be faid, that 
their refidence was confined among the Ba- 
bylonians ; granted, their refidence was 
principally there, but no doubt there was a 
continual intercourfe between thofe two 
countries, viz. Babylon and Greece ; but 
the ten tribes who followed Jeroboam, and 
were not numbered among the tribes of Ju- 
dah and Benjamin, were taken captive and 
difperfed abroad among the different nati- 
ons, round about ; then we may reafonably 
conjecture, that as thofe people held prin- 
ciples of religion different from all other na- 
tions, that a perfon of Plato's prying turn 
of mind would be inquifitive toknowfome- 
thing about them : and admitting that he 
himfelf had not an opportunity of feeing 
any of the feed of Jacob, who could con- 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 63 

verfe intelligibly about the great and mo- 
mentous matters of religion, yet fome of 
his affociates or acquaintances, it is alto- 
gether likely, had ; and the philofopher, 
ever anxious to find out principles of truth, 
would doubtlefs eagerly grafp thole fmall 
emanations of light, by whatever means he 
might receive them, and ftore them away 
carefully in his memory. It is not impoffi- 
ble but what he might have read the books 
of Mofes and the prophets, or certain parts 
of them, tranfcribed into other languages, 
which he might have been acquainted with ; 
but, however, be thefe as they may, it is a 
well known facl, that Plato was one of So- 
crates' difciples, and derived a great many 
opinions from him. Whether Socrates had 
ever been converfant with any of the Jews 
or no, we cannot tell ; but according to his 
own account, as well as information from Pla« 
to himfelf, and others, there w T as a Gcnus r 
or, as they fometimes called it, a De?non, 
that attended him from his childhood, and 
taught him thofe truths that he revealed to 
others : charity may lead us to believe that 
this was a meafure of that Spirit, -which 
Ughteth every man that comcth into the 
world ;"*■ for it is not an impoilible thing, 

* John i. 9. 



64 A GUIDE TO 

but what God might have made himfelf 
known, in ameafure, tofome of thole phi- 
lofophers in Greece, as well as to Balaam in 
the land of Moab. 

And as to Ariftotle, it is equally certain 
that he was one of Plato's pupils, and un- 
doubtedly imbibed many of his fentiments 
of theology ; and if we may credit informa- 
tion, there was a learned Jew in the city of 
Athens, who was an intimate acquaintance 
of his ; with whom he had a number of con- 
ferences. And Seneca lived in a more fa- 
vourable time yet, about the beginning of 
the Chriftian asra ; and without doubt had 
an opportunity of converfmg with Chrifti- 
ans, and, in all probability of reading the 
evangelifts and the apoftles writings ; and 
it has been faid by fome, that he held a cor- 
refpondence with the apoftle Paul: what 
foundation they had for this, we will not 
pretend to fay ; but he was put to death by 
Nero, and (in that country) confequently 
was furrounded by Chriftians during his 
life. 

Admitting there was no external revela- 
tion, the operations of the Holy Ghoft are 
fufficient alone to teach men a great many 
things of God, and his law ; fo that we are 
not to impute that to human reafon, which 
is properly the effeft of the enlightening 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 65 

grace of God upon the heart. All pure 
principles of truth that we imbibe (of a hea- 
venly nature) are revealed to us, either di- 
rectly or indireclly, from God, who is the 
fource of truth, and the fountain of light : 
fo we ought to feel our dependance upon 
him for inflruclion, and to prize that in- 
ftrudlion more highly than gold, yea, than 
fine gold. 

As we have already obferved, men are 
made up of weaknefs and fallibility, igno- 
rant of a thoufand dangers that they are now 
expofed to, and more fo of what lies before 
them ; every thing in futurity is buried in 
myftery, a thick cloud is before it which 
we cannot penetrate ; therefore it is not in 
man that walketh to direct his steps * for if 
we go the way that carnal reafon would 
point out, we are like a blind man who is 
as likely to fall into a pit or ditch as to keep 
in a fafe courfe. But he who flies to God's 
word for inftruclion, has a lighted candle 
in his hand, to guide him through all the 
darkfome wilds of this world, and knows 
how to ftep forward fafely in the pleafant 
way of duty and happinefs ; fo that to be 
truly happy, we rnuft take God's holv word 
F 2 

* Jer. x. 2 3. 



66 A GUIDE TO 

for our rule, and make it the daily compa- 
nion of our lives. 

The holy scriptures teach such precepts^ and 
offer such subjects to our meditation, as are 
calculated to inspire the mind with true fe- 
licity* 

IF we form our lives according to the 
holy fcriptures, we may always be in a hap- 
py frame of mind, for it directs us to do no- 
thing but what tends to our contentment and 
tranquility, nor to abftain from any thing 
but what would do us an effential harm if 
we praclifed or enjoyed it ; fo all the direc- 
tions given us in God's word, are defigned 
to fmooth the rugged paths of human life, 
and introduce true felicity among men ; to 
counteract the defign of our grand adversa- 
ry who introduced fin into the world as the 
common difturber of the peace, which has 
occafioned fo many miferies, both bodily 
and, mental, and affecled the whole mafs of 
human nature, and fets men, not only to 
injuring one another, but alfoto doing mif- 
chief to themfelves. 

The principal import of God's word to 
man is, do thyself no harm.* If all me a 

* A&s. xvi. 2-8. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 67 

would obey its directions, we fhouldbe re- 
ftored (as far as our prefent mode of exift- 
ence would admit) to our primitive inno- 
cence and happinefs. But admitting that 
all mankind were in w T ars and commotion 
around us, if we obey the i n ft ru6li on s giv- 
en in God's word, we fliall filence the 
tumult in our own breafts, the roaring of 
confcience will ceafe, and revelation aiding 
our own reafon, will enable us to regulate 
our jarring and tumultuous paffions, and 
bring them into their proper medium and 
harmony ; fo that while the world is filled 
with tumult, jarrs, and difoord about us, 
w r e may pofTefs a kingdom of peace, joy, 
and happinefs within us ; and this joy, fays 
our Lord, no man taketh from you;* and 
my peace I give unto you, not as the xvorld 
givethy give lunto'you:^ a bleffing that the 
world cannot give nor take away. But, on 
the other hand, if the nations were at peace 
around us, and all men at peace with us, 
and our own confciences were accufmg, and 
God's law thundering againft us, and every 
precept like a drawn fword pointed at our 
naked hearts, and in the mean time the paf- 
fions of our minds all in a dreadful commo- 
tion, we fhould be like an Adam trembling 

* John xvi. 22. t John xiv. 27. 



68 A GUIDE TO 

under the fhady boughs in the garden, when 
God came walking in the cool of the day 
and faid unto him, where art thou?* Not 
all the delights of paradife could cheer him, 
when God was thus angry with him ; fo 
that we may readily difcover that happiness 
does not confift in outward circumftances 
or things, but in the joy of a good confci- 
ence, or an inward fenfe of our Maker's ap- 
probation. 

The improvement of the mind adds much 
more to our happinefs, than any fenfual 
gratifications could poffibly do ; daily expe- 
rience may convince us of this : we gene- 
rally feel more pleafure in anticipating an 
earthly good, than we do in the poffeffion 
or enjoyment of it. So delufive and cheat- 
ing are all earthly comforts, that the initant 
we are expecting fome folidfatisfaclion from 
them, all their charms and beauty, which 
were fo alluring to our minds before, take 
wings and fly away. 

But if we place our affections upon right 
objects, we fhail not be fubiect tothofe per- 
turbations of mind, arifing from deluiion 
and difappointment ; for every thing that 
God has promifed, is fure and certain, if 
we only comply with the conditions on our 

* Gen iii. 9. 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 69 

parts ; thefe are objects that will never cloy- 
in the enjoyment, and that we may occupy 
the whole of our rational powers in reflect- 
ing upon — objects that may engrofs all the 
affections of our minds ; and indeed it is 
hard to fay how far the paffions of wonder, 
love, joy, delight, &c. may not flow with- 
out excefs upon fuch objects. 

The holy fcriptures open to our minds 
a wonderful field for meditation ; we are 
hereby brought to an acquaintance with the 
nobleft objects, which can pofiibly be pre- 
fented to the human mind ; it leads us to 
the knowledge and contemplation of God 
himfelf, and his incommunicable attributes 
and perfections ; it directs us to obferve 
and admire the characters of his glory, in 
his wonderful works of creation, and in the 
methods of his moil wife, benign, and righ- 
teous providence : to which may be added, 
it difclofes to us a mod glorious and ravifli- 
ing fcene in the redemption of mankind, by 
Jefus Chrift, in which the wifdom and ho- 
linefs, as well as grace and goodnefs, of 
God, are mod illuftrioufly displayed : there 
is nothing that affords us fuch rational fatif- 
faction as to live in the practice of this du- 
ty- 
Here in this facred book, is an image, or 
a faint fimilitude of God, held out before 



70 A GUIDE TO 

our imaginations, in more fublime ideas 
and ftile, than a Homer, with all his cele- 
brity, could have fet forth ; but in our pre- 
fent imperfect ft ate we are not able to form 
any adequate conceptions of his greatnefs, 
we can only judge of him from his woiks, 
of what we have feen or been informed of. 
The moft grand and fublime figures are 
made ufe of to fet forth his greatnefs, but 
as thefe figures are finite and brought down 
to our narrow capacities, they can give but 
a very faint idea of his real character ; he 
being infinite and eternal, there mud be the 
greateft difparity between the figures and 
him they are defigned to reprefent. 

But it is veryneceffaryfometimes to view 
the vaft creation, the works of his hand, not 
for fpeculation, but to heighten our ideas of 
him, and elevate our affections to him ; for 
the heavens declare the glory of God, and the 
firmament shezveth his handy work ; daij un- 
to day utter eth speech, and night unto night 
she wet h knowledge:^ and, fays the Pfalm- 
ift, when I consider thy heavens, the xvork 
of thy fingers ; the moon and the stars which 
thou hast ordained; zvhat is man, that thou 
art mindful of him, and the Son of man, that 
thou visitest himPj This view of his works 

* Pfa. xix. 1,2. f Pfa* viii. 3, 4. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 71 

ferves to raife oar adoration, and at the 
fame time to fink us in the lowed abafement 
at his feet. 

We are beholden to the infpired poet for 
a great many magnificent defcriptions of the 
character of Jehovah ; fays he, " thou art 
very great, thou art clothed with honour 
and majefty, who covered thyfelf with light 
as with a garment, who ftretcheft out the 
heavens like a curtain, who layeth the beams 
of his chambers in the waters, who maketh 
the clouds his chariot, who walketh upon 
the wings of the wind, who maketh his 
angels fpirits, his minifters a flaming fire.""^ 
" Then the earth ihook and trembled, the 
foundations alfo of the hills moved, and 
were fhaken, becaufe he was wroth ; there 
went up a fmoke out of his noftrils, and fire 
out of his mouth devoured; coals were 
kindled by it; he bowed the heavens alfo 
and came down, and darknefs was under 
his feet, and he rode upon a cherub, and 
did fly ; yea, he did fly upon the wings of 
the wind ; he*made darknefs his fecret place, 
his pavilion round about him were dark wa- 
ters and thick clouds of the Ikies ; at the 
brightnefs that was before him, his thick 
clouds pafled, hailftones and coals of fira ; 

*Pfa. civ. !j 2, 3, 4. 



72 A GUIDE TO 

the Lord alfo thundered in the heavens, and 
the higheft gave his voice,"* he. Or as it 
is beautifully expreffed inthefe words, 

" Till nature's King, -who oft 
Amid tempeftuous darkneis, dwells alone, 
And on the wings of the careering wind, 
Walks, dreadfully ferene, commands a calm ; 
Then ftraight air, fea, and earth, are hufh'd at 
once.'* 

Says the Pfalmiftagain, of old thou hast laid 
the foundation of the earth, and the heavens 
are the work of thy hands, they shall perish 
but thou shalt endure ; yea, all of them shall 
xuax old as doth a garment, as a vesture shalt 
thou change them, and they shall be chang- 
ed : but thou art the same, and thy years 
shall have no end/\ No figures could be 
held before our imagination, better cal- 
culated to inipire pompous or exalted ideas 
of the great Creator, than thole we have 
quoted. 

But if we furvey the creation, from the 
fmalleft animalcule to the utmoft bounds of 
the vaft univerfe — if we behold every green 
leaf fwarm with thoufands of animals, that, 

* Pia. xviii. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 
t Pia. cii. 25, 26, 27. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 73 

at their largeft growth, are not vifible to the 
naked eye — if we view the various produc- 
tions of nature, with the metals, minerals, 
plants, and meteorSj and then the whole 
earth at once, and the feveral planets that 
lie within its neighbourhood ; and aftonifh- 
ed to fee fo many worlds, hanging one 
above another, and Aiding round their 
axles with fuch amazing pomp and folem- 
nity, without the leaft cralhing or difcord — 
if after this, we contemplate thofe wide 
fields of ether, that reach in height from 
Saturn to the fixed flars, and run abroad 
almoft to infinity ; and then ft retch our 
imagination farther among the fixed ftars, 
which are fuppofed to be fo many funs and 
worlds — our minds are confounded in fuch 
a labyrinth of thought, and loft in the im- 
menfity and magnificence of nature. Lo y 
these are parts of his ways, but hozu little a 
portion is heard of him; bat the thunder of 
his power who can understand :* when our 
imagination is ftretched to its utmoft extent, 
yet God is infinitely greater than our mod 
refined refearches are capable of compre- 
hending ; high as heaven, zvhat canst thou 
do P deeper than hell^xvhat canst thou know ?y 
G 

* Job xxvi. 14. t Job xi. 8* 



74 A GUIDE TO 






taking care of the fmalleft infe6t, and at the 
fame time extending his providence to fur- 
rounding worlds. 

The imagination is fomething like the 
organ of fight ; it cannot bear to be confin- 
ed within narrow limits, it defires a iitua- 
tion where it can command a diftant prof- 
pe6t, and be viewing variety : fo in our me- 
ditations we cannot feel that pleafure, with 
confining ourfelves in a limited circle, as 
when we give our imagination more lati- 
tude ; for whatever is limited, and our 
minds can in a meafure comprehend, carries 
along with it the idea of imperfection, which 
is unpleafant to the thought. But here is a 
Being, the object of our worlhip and adorati- 
on, that is not like the heathen gods and god- 
defles, confined in a limited fpace ; but be- 
held, "heaven'is his throne and the eartlns 
his footflool. He removeth the mountains- 
and they know not ; which overturneth them 
in his anger ; which fhaketh the earth out of 
her place, and the pillars thereof tremble ; ; 
which commandeth the fun, and it rifeth 
not, and fealeth up the ftars; which alone 
fpreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth 
upon the waves of the fea ;* and behold the \ 
nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are 

* Job ix. 5, 6j 7, 8, 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 75 

counted as the fmall duft of the balance ; 
behold he taketh up the ifles as a very little 
thing;* who hath meafured the waters in 
the hollow of his hand, and meted out the 
heaven with a fpan, and comprehended the 
duft of the earth in a meafure, and weigh- 
ed the mountains in fcales, and the hills in 
a balance, "f But although he is fo in- 
finitely great, he (loops to take notice of 
the leaft atom, and the moft feeble infeft ; 
the lilies of the field are clothed, and the 
ravens and fparrows are fed by him, he 
even numbers the hairs of our heads. 

What felicity, then do fuch meditations 
add to our minds I and more efpecially 
when we confider ourfelves the objedts of 
his notice and paternal love, when we can 
claim him as our father, and have a full 
affurance that he looks down upon us with 
complacency, and that his wifdom, power, 
and goodnefs are all engaged to make us 
happy : does it give great pleafure to be in 
the good graces of a nobleman upon earth ? 
how much greater happinefs then muft it 
afford to be in the favour of this exalted 
Being, that fills heaven and earth with his 
glory f 

* Jfai. xl. 15. f Ifai. xl. 12. 



76 A GUIDE TO 

The fcriptures alfo prefent to our view 
another fcene, in which we may feel our- 
felves more particularly interefted, viz. the 
god-man, the fuffering and dying Jefus, 
the only begotten of the Father, "full of grace 
and truth;* who although he was rich, 
yet for our sokes, became poor, that we 
through his poverty might be rich ;f being 
the brightness of God's glory, and the ex- 
press image of his person ; upholding all . 
things by the word of his power, \ whofe 
name is called wonderful counsellor , the 
mighty God, the everlasting Father, and 
the prince of peace :\\ yet he made himself 
of no reputation, and took upon him the form 
of a servant, and was made in the likeness 
of man, and being found in fashion as a man, 
he humbled himself and became obedient unto 
death, even the (Ihameful) death of the 
cross,** When our imagination can view 
him feated in the realms of light, between 
the cherubim and the feraphim, and all the 
hofls of heaven paying him their divine ho« 
mage, let up in the bofom of the father from 
everlailing ; and then, with a quick tran- 
fition, behold Lvim in the form of a fervant, 
mocked and fpit upon by men, condemned 

* John i. U. t 2 Cor viii. 9. 1 \ Heb. i. 3. 
H Ifai. ix. 6. ** Phil. ii. 7, 8. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. ?P 

like a criminal, and executed as a male- 
fa6tor, what different emotions does it 
raife in the heart ! the paffion of anger is 
excited againftthe envious Jews, who with 
wicked hands crucified and put him to 
death ; that of gratitude or love is raifed 
by beholding the greatnefs of his pity and 
compaffioi^ exercifed towards a loit race of 
Rebellious men, as exemplified in his forrow- 
ful life and his ignominious and accurfed 
death ; and the paffions of wonder and af- 
tonifliment are alfo excited by viewing 
this amazing condefcenfion, in leaving 
the regions of ineffable light ; and laying 
afide his robes of tranfcendent brightnefs, 
covering himfelf with human nature, and 
appearing in the form of one that ferveth. 
To fee a God veiled in flefti, and, what is 
Hill more aftoniihing, to behold him fub- 
mitting to the fcorn, contempt, and revi- 
lings of impious men, whom he could 
have blafted with one breath of his nof- 
trils — to fee him meekly bearing the indig- 
nities that were put upon him, when it was 
in his power to have called a legion of 
angels to his affiftance, if he had flood in 
need of them ; yea, to fee him brought as a 
lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep dumb be* 
G2 



7$ A GUIDE TO 

fore her shearers, opening not his mouth* — 
when we behold his ftreaming blood, his 
heaving breaft, his dying pangs, and all 
nature blufliing and veiling itfelf in dark- 
nefs, and in the mean time hear his heavy 
groans, which caufes the earth to fhake to 
her centre, and his head falling upon his 
facred bofom, and he giving up the ghoft — 
when we fee him praying and fweating in 
Gethfemane, and view him expiring all in 
a bloody gore upon the fummit of Calvary ; 
we are ready to exclaim, good God ! what 
means all this ? the anfwer is ready at 
hand, God so loved the xvorld that he gave 
his only begotten Son, that whosoever believ- 
eth in him should not perish, but have ever- 
lasting life.]' 

rt Htll howl'd ; heav'n that hour let fall a tear » 
Heav'n wept, that man might finite 1 heav'n bled* 

that man 
Might never die !" 

How can we help feeling our minds ele- 
vated in the contemplation of fuch won- 
derful love and goodnefs, manifefted to a 
loft and undone race : greater love hath no 
man than this, that he lay dozvn his life for 
hisfriends.% But zvhen w,e were enemies, 
we were^reconeiled to God by the death of his 

* Ifai. liii. 7. f John iii. 1 6. ] J onn xv » * 3 « 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 79 

Son.* He died for his enemies — -for his 
murderers ; yea, for all mankind who had 
eftranged themfelves from him by wicked 
works. Now, who but a God could have 
deviled and executed fuch afcheme as this, 
for the redemption of loft and undone crea- 
tures ? furely one minute's meditation upon 
this love of Chrift, can yield more real fa- 
lisfacYion to the mind of a rational being, 
than all the amufing fcenes that could be ex- 
hibited at the theatre in a whole night. O 
that men might taste and see that the Lord 
is good"\ and gracious. 

In this facred book we can fee the loving 
Redeemer of the world, giving his la ft fare- 
well difcourfe to his difciples ; preparing 
their minds for the awful event that was to 
happen at Jerufalem, alleging that although 
they would fhortly be deprived of his bodi- 
ly prefence among them, yet that another 
comforter fhould come and abide with 
them, which fhould more than compenfate 
for his abfence. It is expedient for you that 
I go away, for if I go not azvay, the Comfort- 
er will not come unto you; but if I depart, 
Ixvill send him unto you: and when he is 
come, he will reprove the world of sin, of 
righteousness, and of judgment. % According- 

* Rom. v. 10. f Pfa. xxxiv. 8. \ John xvi. 7. 8. 



SO A GUIDE TO 

ly, after his refurreftion from the dead, he 
appeared to his difciples, where they were 
affembled together for fear of the Jews, and 
breathed on them, and faid, receive ye the 
Holy Ghost * and alfo faid, tarry ye in the 
city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued zvith 
power from on high.]' Very foon after his 
afcenfion into glory, the promife of the 
Comforter was fulfilled : It was poured 
down upon the difciples in an abundant 
manner in the day of pentecoft, fo thnt the 
by-ftanders faid, these men are full of new 
xvine.% Well may the Holy Ghoft be term- 
ed the Comforter, for the very defign of 
his coming, is to comfort the fouls of 
his people ; but his operations upon the 
hearts of men, are fomething like the cloud 
that feparated between the Ifraelites and 
Egyptians — To the righteous they are all 
light, life, and comfort ; while to the wick- 
ed, they are darknefs, terror, and mifery ; 
for whoever will not obey his divine 
dictates, cannot be happy. He convin- 
ces them of what is right, and reproves 
them of what is wrong ; and as far as they 
refill his operations, they fet up their own 
wills in oppofition to the will of their Maker ; 
and this never fails of making men unhappy, 

* John xx. 22. f Luke xxiv. 49, \ A&s ii. 13. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 81 

and how can it otherwife be, for when afer- 
vant difobeys his matter, he continually 
fears the rod of chaftifement — there is al- 
ways a guilt attending fin, which is in fome 
meafure its own punifliment. But they who 
have the religion which the holy fcripture 
recommends, feel their moft genuine hap- 
pinefs and comfort, arifmg from the influ- 
ence of the Spirit of God upon their hearts ; 
they have received the Spirit of adoption, 
-whereby they cry, Abba Father:* and the 
Spirit itself beareth xvitness with their spi- 
rit, that they are the children of God. This 
Spirit not only witneffeth to them that God 
is their Father, but likewife helpeth their 
infirmities, and maketh intercession for them 
-with groanings xvhich cannot be uttered — 
this Spirit is an antidote againft all evil : 
Should we be feparated from our earthly 
friends and connexions to the moft diftant 
parts of the world, he is every where pre- 
sent comforting our hearts ; and whatever 
affliction befalls us, he comforts us under 
it, and fan6lifies it to our good ; fo that for 
this cause we faint not, but though our out- 
ward man perish, yet the inward man is re- 
new ed day by day*\ In ail thefe things the 
Spirit makes us more than conquerors. 

*Rom. viii. I 5, 16. 26. f 2 Cor. iv. 16. 



82 A GUIDE TO 

What wonderous fubje6ls of meditation 
are thefe! that the infinite Jehovah, the 
three perfons in the God-head, being pof- 
feffed of fuch dignity, majefty, and glory, 
ihould condefcend to take notice of fuch di- 
minutive, vile creatures as we are ; and af- 
ter all our a6ls of rebellion againft him, 
fliould fpare and pity us — deign to own us 
as children, and give us the privilege of 
calling him father — promifmg that if we afk 
any thing in his name, he will give it us. 
The Father preferving, the Son redeem- 
ing, and the Spirit fan&ifying and comfort- 
ing us. 

In the holy fcriptures alfo, we have the 
final end of both the righteous and the wick- 
ed held out to view ; we can difcover e- 
nough of the pit of Tophet, the lake of fire 
and brimftone, or the dreary manfions of 
the damned, to awaken our gratitude, and 
to make us extol the merits of Jefus Chrift; 
who has not only made it poflible for us to 
efcape it, but has fo long preferved us from 
falling into its dark and dreary confines, du- 
ring the days of our rebellion againft him: 
but on the other hand, life and immortali- 
ty are brought to light through the gospel-* 
heaven with all its glories, is fet before pur 

* 2 Tim. i. \Qt , . 



TRUE HAPPINESS* 83 

eyes : fometimes when reading the word of 
God, in our meditations, we can fee the 
clouds, and the serial and ftarry heavens 
parting ; then Sion's blooming mount heaves 
in view, with the unclouded face of the Re- 
deemer, and all the hofts of the faithful, 
who have been redeemed from among men, 
of every kindred tongue and nation under 
heaven, falling down before the throne, 
and laying, unto him that loved us, and 
Washed us from our sins in his oxvn bloody 
and hath made us kings and priests unto God, 
and his Father; to him be glory and dominion 
for ever and everJ^ There we can fee feats 
prepared, and hear him faying in his word, in 
my Father's house are many mansions, if it 
were not so, I woidd have told you, I go to 
prepare a place for you, that where 1 am 7 
there ye may be also.\ When a man is thus 
meditating, how can he help Hopping to ex- 
claim, O my foul I is all this glory prepa- 
red for thee, and art thou fo reluctant in 
thy purfuit after it ? gird up thy loins, and 
be thou faithful unto death, and thou (halt 
have yonder crown of life. 

The New Jerufalem with all its magni- 
ficence, glory, and beauty, is reprefented 
before us ; its jafper walls, its pearly gates, 

* Rev. i. 5, 6. t John xiv. 2, 3. 



84- A GUIDE TO 

its ftreets of gold, its cryftal ftreams, and 
the tree of life; but above all, the throne 
of God and the Lamb, where there is no 
need of the mn, neither of the moon to shine 
in it, for the glory of God is the light there- 
of:* and we can hear " the voice of many 
angels round about the throne, and the 
beafts, and the elders, and the number of 
them — ten thoufand times ten thoufand, and 
thoufands of thoufands ; faying with aloud 
voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was flain, 
to receive power and riches, and wifdom, 
and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and 
bleffing — the four beafts faying amen, and 
the four and twenty elders falling down and 
worfhiping him that liveth for ever and 
ever."f But the chief glory of heaven 
confifts in a freedom from all the effects of 
iin in ourfelves, and from the fight of it 
round about us ; and alfo where we mall 
have all our comforts flowing immediately 
from God himfelf, as from the fountain- 
head, without coming through the medium 
of corruptible things. In heaven we fhall 
fuffer no more pain, all tears fhall be wiped 
for ever from our eyes, and sorrow and 
sighing shall flee axvay ;J there is no more 

* Rev. xxi. 23. f Rev. v. 11, 12. 14. 

| I'fai. xxxv. 10. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 85 

fympathizing with the indigencies or mife- 
ries of our friends, and no more lofs of near 
and dear relatives ; but here God will be 
all in all. Sometimes when the religious 
man is contemplating thus, on thefe divine 
glories, he is fo caught away in the vifion* 
of God, that he is ready to imagine himfelf 
already feated with Abraham, Ifaac, and Ja- 
cob, in the kingdom of heaven. But lo ! 
fuddenly he Harts from his pleafmg reverie, 
and finds that he has not yetpafled the Jor- 
dan of death, into the glorious land of 
promife ; yet he feels fo delighted with 
thefe contemplations, that if he were defli- 
tute of every thing of this world, that could 
make him comfortable, the foreboding of 
that glory which fhall be revealed hereafter, 
would make him vaftly happier than the 
greateft king (deftitute of itj that ever 
fwayed an earthly fceptre : he can hear God 
faying, in language fimilar to this, All this 
glory fhall be thine, if thou wilt take up 
thy crofs, and follow me. 

In our perufals of the facred oracles, we 
ihall find a fublime defcription of the refur- 
redlion of the body, and the laft judgment, 
offered to our meditation. That fame Being 
who firft bade all nature fpring from no- 
thing, and order to rife out of chaos ; who 
H 



86 A GUIDE TO 

bade the fun to mount the fpacious heavens, 
and the moon and ftars to fhine in the 
night watches ; who ftretched the north 
over the empty fpace, and hanged the earth 
upon nothing, will e'er long come, the 
Judge both of the quick and dead, and at 
his awful approach will fet the heavens and 
the earth on fire, and all nature will be con- 
fumed in the general blaze. In the mean 
time, by the loud trumpet's blaft ; many 
that sleep in the dust of the earthy shall awake? 
some to everlasting life, and some to shame 
and everlasting contempt :^ the dead who 
are in their graves, shall hear his voice, and 
shall come forth; they that have done good 
unto the resurrection of life, and they that 
have done evil, unto the resurrection of dam- 
nation.^ How wonderful the thought (if 
we might allow ourfelves to take fuch a 
flight of the fancy) that thefe bodies, J which 
have varioufly wafted away into myriads of 
atoms, and perhaps fcattered over a whole 
continent, fhould again be fhaped into their 
original form, however wide the limbs may 
have been fevered apart I thofe bodies, that 
have been drowned, and devoured by the 
filhes of the fea ; thofe which have been 

* Dan. xii. 2. t John v. 28. 29. 

\ Or their conftituent paru. 



TRUE HAPPINES5. 87 

burned to alhes, and their duftftrewed into 
the four winds of heaven ; thofe that have 
ijeen torn to pieces by the wildbeafts of the 
earth, and whofe flefh has ferved to fatten 
the vermon of the defert, and fuffered a 
kind of transformation from human to the 
flefh of brutes ; and thofe various bodies, 
which have been lying as manure upon the 
face of the earth, and fertilized the foil, and 
the fubftance thereof grown up into herbs 
and plants- — all thofe particles of the human 
body, however they may have been difpo- 
fed of, in the order of providence, and 
changed in their form or mode of exiftence, 
and however minute and unobferved by 
man, yet the eyes of that great Being who 
takes notice of the fmalleft animalcule, 
which we cannot difcover only by the affift- 
ance of a microfcope, beholds every parti- 
cle, and as the poet expreffes it, 

u Looks down, and watches all my dud, 
Till he (hall bid it rife/' , 

What a beautiful figure is here reprefented 
to the mind ! God, fitting in the heavens, 
and looking down with attention upon the 
little vagrant mites that are fcattered abroad 
upon the globe, floating upon the water, or 
flying in the air, and watching them until 



88 A GUIDE TO 

the day when he will collect them all to- 
gether, fo that not one of them fliall be 
loft! 

" See the fcattered limbs, and all 
The various bodies, obfequious to the call, 
Self-mov'd advance, perhaps the neck to meet 
The diltant head, the diftant legs the feet ; 
Dreadful to view ! fee through the dufky fey, 
Fragments of bodies in confufion fly 
To diftant regions, journeying there to claim 
Deferted members, and complete the frame l" 

Now if we fuffer our imagination to roam 
upon the fubject for a few minutes, my 
God ! what a fcene is exhibited ! what do 
we fee ! a Judge, feated upon a great white 
throne ; his eyes, like blazing meteors, 
fpreading devaluation and terror all around ; 
the bowels of the fun pouring out, and the 
conftellations of heaven catching fire ; the 
moon afluming a bloody afpect, and the 
earth cleaving to its very centre ; the fea 
roaring and men's hearts failing them for 
fear ! But what bellowing found is that we 
hear, waxing louder and louder, thrilling 
through heaven's vaft expanfe ? It is the 
trump of God, founding, Ye deadarife, and 
come to judgment! Behold, O my foul, the 
eardi fwarming, and the fea teeming with 
myriads, who have lain dormant for hun- 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 89 

dreds and thoufands of years, within their 
confines ; fome riling with their fpiritual 
bodies, like unto Chrift's glorious body, to 
meet him in the air, exulting as they fly, 
and finging the new fong, that none canfing 
fave they which are redeemed from the 
tarth.^ But what haggard forms are thofe 
we behold yonder? their bodies are vari- 
oufly diftorted ; defpair and terror are de- 
picted in their faces ; they are eager to ef- 
cape the hand of juftice, and wifli to fly a- 
gain to the bofom of the earth, from which 
they fprang, and to lie eternally hid under 
its deepeft gloom ; but juftice drags them 
to the flaming bar, however reluctant they 
may be ; they now are Handing with their 
downcaft eyes, and trembling limbs, to re- 
ceive a reward from the hand of their 
Judge — thefe are they who would not have 
the Son of God to reign over them ; he now 
fays, Bring them hither, and slay them- be* 
fore me ;f the vaft catalogue of their fins are 
read over in the hearing of the whole con- 
gregations of both heaven and hell, and all 
their fecret crimes are expofed to view ; 
and no fooner is the judgment clofed, than 
they are hurried into the precincts of hell, 
H 2 

* Rev, xiv. 3. -f Luke xix. 27. 



!)0 A GUIDE TO 

branded by the hand of Juftice in their fore- 
heads, and the black feal of reprobation 
eternally fixed upon them ; for whosoever 
was 7iot found written in the book of life, was 
cast into the lake of fire.* 

14 Nor man alone ; the foe of God and man, 
From his dark den, blaipheming, drags his chain, 
And rears his brazen front, ^yith thunder fcarr'd ; 
Receives his fentcnce, and begins his hell." 

But, when we turn our eyes in another 
direction, how different an afpe6l do we 
behold ! What radiant forms are thofe 
we difcover ? these are they which came oat 
of great tribulation, and have washed their 
robes and made them white in the blood of the 
Lamb ,"\ these have followed the Lamb whi- 
thersoever he went A the righteous Judge is 
crowning and owning them before his fa- 
ther, and his holy angels ; the gates of pa- 
radife are opened — the ambrofial fields of 
blifs appear in fight — the marriage fupper 
is made ready, and they are invited to par- 
take of it ; Come ye blessed of my Father, in- 
herit the kingdom prepared for you, from the 
foundation of the world.\\ Then shall the 

* Rev. xx. 15. t Rev. vii. 14* 

} Rev. xiv. 4. f Matt. xxv. 34. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 91 

righteous shine forth as the sun in the king- 
do??! of their Father.* 

All thofe fubjecls of meditation have a 
natural tendency to raife joyful emotions in 
the heart, and to increafe the happinefs of 
a religious man ; but it may feem a paradox 
to fome, that a blazing heaven — an earth 
in convulfions — an opening hell — and a 
damned throng, trembling at the left hand 
of a fin-avenging God, fhould heighten or 
raife the happinefs of any creature. It is 
not the view of thefe alone, but they are 
only brought in as concomitant circumftan- 
ces, along with thofe elevating fcenes which 
have been exhibited. In the fineft pieces of 
pencil work, which are moft ravifhing to 
the fight, inftance in a landfcape, we not 
only have the brighter colours, the azure 
flcy, the fhining ftream, and the verdant 
trees, fields, and meadows, with the vari- 
ous beauties of nature ; but, that it may be 
complete, there is now and then a lowering 
cloud interfperfed through the iky ; fome- 
times a blafted oak, with its leaflefs boughs 
extended in the air, and here and there a 
barren hill, covered over with craggy rocks, 
and fometimes huge precipices, with deep 
dells and cavities in the earth, and both 

* Matt. xiii. 43. 



92 A GUIDE TO 

lights and fhacles are made ufe of according 
to whatever is portrayed to the eye, which 
prefents a romantic profpe6l and gives plea- 
sure to the beholder : fo when we read thofe 
dreadful truths, and of the thundering juf- 
tice of God, upon the wicked, intermixed 
with the more pleafmg do6lrines of the gof- 
pel, it has a like effect upon the mind of a 
Chriftian ; for, although thefe truths are 
fhocking to a fmner, they have nothing in 
them to terrify the mind of a holy man ; for 
the flames of hell can never touch him, but 
he can exult in hope of his full reward in 
the day of reckoning, when this body, 
which he has mortified by fading, and wea- 
ried and fatigued by exceffive labour and 
duty, and that has endured bufferings and 
abufe, for Chrift's fake, will be reunited to 
the fouU and (hare with it in the glory of 
God for ever ; then all revilings and fcorn, 
contempt, mockings, and perfecutions will 
come to an end, and then we ihall enter (if 
we are found worthy) into that reft, which 
remaineth for the people of God.* In this 
world they have called us enthufiafts, fools, 
mad men, and the like, but in that day we 
ihall difcover who Will be deemed fo, by 
the Judge of all the earth ; we read the 

Heb. iv. 9. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 93 

foolilh will come knocking when it is too 
late, saying Lord, Lord, open unto us ; but 
he will anfwer and fay, Verily I say unt* 
you, I know you not* while the wife will 
be admitted into life eternal. 

A more plain Description, both of the Nature 
and Fruits of Religion* 

WE (hall now come to a more plain 
defcription of that pure and undefiled reli- 
gion, recommended in this treatife. What 
we have been faying concerning the regula- 
tion of our paffions, bringing them under 
the control of reafon, and fubmitting our 
reafon to the fuperi or force of revelation, 
with thofe various fubje6ls for meditation 
which the fcriptures hold out to our view, 
muftbe acknowledged to be great helps to a 
religious life, and very well calculated to tran- 
cruilife the mind, andinfpire it with the moll 
rational fatisfaclion ; but now we come to 
a more deep and thorough work of the fpi- 
rit upon the human heart, through the me- 
dium of that faith which is of the operation 
of God, that we have already deicrihed, 
which gives more permanent happiness to the 

* Matt, xxv, 11. 12. 



94 A GUIDE TO 

foul of man, than all our own efforts, how- 
ever rational, can poffibly do. 

This religion is oppofed to fin of every 
kind, and as fuch, effects a thorough change 
both in our hearts and lives, fo that thofe 
who are Chriflians, are quite another fort of 
people from the ungodly, they are quite dif- 
ferent in their difpofition and manners, the 
one puts the reins in the hands of paffion, 
goes where inclination leads him, and is un- 
der the power and dominion offmful pro- 
penfities ; the other bends all his endea- 
vours to the glorifying of God, doing good 
to men, and getting more grace in his own 
heart ; they differ in degrees almoft as w T ide 
as heaven and hell, which places we muft 
not believe to be wholly hereafter, for both 
the one and the other are in fome meafure 
begun upon earth, but the vulgar error 
is that thefe are altogether confined to 
another world, they have dreadful appre- 
henfions of fire and brimftone, w r hile at the 
fame time they feed in their hearts a living 
fire, that is the hell of lufts, which do iyiifera- 
bly fcorch their fouls, and yet they are not 
concerned at all about it, they do not per- 
ceive that hell deals upon them every mo- 
ment, while they are here upon earth, and 
as for heaven, they are gazing abroad for it, 
as though it was feme great and high pre- 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 9J 

ferment that muft come from without, and 
never look for the beginnings of it to arife 
in their own hearts : whereas nothing with- 
out, ftri6ily fpeaking, can make us either 
happy or miserable ; fo neither can any 
thing defile or hurt us, but what comes from 
Within, for from within, oat of the heart of 
man proceedeth evil thoughts, £s?c. and thefe 
defile the man.* But they who are made like 
unto God in the frame and temper of their 
minds, and live according to the everlaft- 
ing and unchangeable rules of goodnefs, righ- 
teoufnefs and truth, may in lome fenfe, be 
faid to have entered into heaven already, 
for (fays the apoftle) he hath made us sit to- 
gether in heavenly places in Christ Jesus."\ 
But they who live in fin and care not to ap- 
prove themfelves unto God, by leading ho- 
ly and religious lives, do meafurably par- 
take of the nature of devils, and are al- 
ready entered into the ftate of hell, for 
he that believeth not the Son, shall not see 
life, bat the -wrath of God abideth on him ;J 
and we are told the curse of the Lord is in 
the house of the wicked,\\ confequently where 
the wrath and curfe of God is, there is hell 
in its beginning ; then who in the exercife 

* Mark vii. 2 i. 23. t Ephe. in 6. 
\ John iii. 3*. || ProY. iii. 33. 



96 A GUIDE TO 

of his fenfes, would lay any claim to happi- 
nefs in fuch a ftate as this : but although re- 
ligion advances the foul to fuch folid en- 
joyments, yet it appears very contemptible 
in the eyes of a deluded world : It grows 
up like a root out of a dry ground, and has 
no comelinefs in it, in their opinion, that 
they fhould defire it ; but we may fay of 
religion as of its divine Mafter, thou art 
fairer than the sons of men, thou art alto- 
gether lovely, the chiefest among ten thou- 
sand. 

We now proceed to a larger defcription 
both of its nature and fruits. To form a pro- 
per judgment of right and wrong, true and 
falfe, good and evil, to learn and pra&ife the 
one and ceafe from the other, may be called 
the grammar of religion, or are fo many 
leading fteps to the attainment of it : fo that 
when a man comes in pofleffion of "the pearl of 
great price, viz, convention, j unification, or 
regeneration, being built upon thefe firft 
principles, it grows higher by degrees, as 
he improves the grace and talents com- 
mitted to his truft ; its nature is fuch, that 
it refines our tempers and regulates our 
actions, or if this is not the cafe, we (hall 
make religion to be an empty found, a mere 
vapour; but it is a bleffed reality, it fur. 
mounts the greateft difficulties, cuts it* 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 87 

way through hofts of enemies, and over- 
comes all oppofition : inftance the martyrs, 
who could go exulting to the burning fag- 
got, and the apoftles, who could return after 
they had been beaten, rejoicing that they 
•were counted worthy to suffer shame for 
his name.* The fpring that gives it motion 
is the fpirit of God, assisting our infirmi- 
ties, fuperadded to the reafon of man, and 
this holy fpirit aiding our reafon gives it 
that fortitude and firmnefs, that enables 
us to prefs forward toward the mark for 
the prize of the high calling of God in Christ 
Jesus ,j~ without which we fhould be weak- 
er then a bruifed reed. 

Religion makes us live up to our higheft 
faculties, and teaches us to practife fuch 
virtues as become rational beings who bear 
the image of the immortal God, and are 
exalted above the inferior creation ; it 
prompts us to fcorn all actions that are bafe 
difingenuous or unworthy of our flate and 
the relation in which we fland to our Crea- 
tor ; it forbids us to do any thing that would 
make us like the beads, or that would fink 
us into a low T er order, by indulging our- 
felves infenfuality or carnal-mindednefs ; it 
I 

* A&s y. 41. t Phil. Hi. U. 



93 A GUIDE TO 

alfo forbids that which would transform us 
into the likenefs of devils, viz. pride, pre- 
emption, felf-conceit, and the like. 

Religion makes us like Chrift in wifdom 
and righteoufnefs, goodnefs, charity, and 
companion ; in forgiving injuries, pardon- 
ing enemies, and in doing hurt to none, but 
good to all, as we have power and oppor- 
tunity : they who are of this difpofition, will 
fcarcely ever want for a friend in time of 
need. It -may be noticed here, that our op- 
pofition to an enemy, makes him more fu- 
rious againft us ; therefore, to pardon him, 
is the way to regain his friendfhip ; and to 
have friendfhip with all around us, is one 
great fource of happinefs : but our refent- 
ing an injury makes it doubly grievous, for 
the greater part of the mifery that a man 
feels, under fuch circumftances, is by fo- 
menting the injury in his own mind ; where- 
as, if he was to pardon and pafs it by, it 
would be like a morning cloud, or an early 
dew. If w^e would be happy, let us do 
harm to none ; for this will free us from a 
thoufand fears, which others are poffeffed 
of: there is fuch a fpirit of retaliation in the 
world, that if we injure a man, he will try, 
generally fpeaking, to injure us again ; but 
if we fhould fuffer injuries from others, and 
we are confeious to ourielves, that we have 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 91) 

never injured them, we can feel our own 
minds at peace. But the greateft infelicity 
attending injuries, is either guilt in our- 
felves, as in fome meafure meriting of 
them, or fuffe ring them to have an undue 
•influence upon our hearts : in fcripture we 
are commanded to do good to all men, and to 
speak evil of none ; to love our enemies, and 
to clo good to them that hate us : and if 
thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, 
give him drink ; for in so doing thou shah 
heap coals of fire on his head;* we are alfo 
exhorted by the fame apoftle, not to be over- 
come of evil, but to overcome evilzvith good.^ 
Then a religious man ought not to be like 
the gods of Epicurus, entirely regardlefs 
of the good of men, lying lolling upon the 
clouds, and rather darting down thunder 
and lightning upon them, than relieving 
them in their diflreffes ; but he ought to be 
like the guardian angels of Plato, always 
doing good to thofe they were concerned 
with ; or, rather like our great pattern the 
Lord Jefus Chrift, who filled up his whole 
life in a6ts of benevolence to others > and 
at laft died for his murderers. If we 
were to walk according to thefe rules, how 
many perturbations of mind, as well as.dif* 

* Rom. xii. 20. f Rom* xti. 2U 



100 A GUIDE TO 

ficulties from others, fhould we efcape, 
which woulc} ferve very much to fmooth the 
rugged paths of human life ; and if all men 
were inpofleflion of this religion, wars and 
contentions would ceafe, and harmony and 
unanimity would foonoverfpreadthe whole 
earth. 

Religion prompts us to follow the gui- 
dance of true and difpaflionate reafon, al- 
though fome are of the opinion, that it op- 
pofes reafon ; not fo, but it is reafon itfelf, 
it tames the extravagancies of the paffions, 
and regulates the exorbitances of the will, 
it permits us the pleafure of our bodies fo 
far as it will introduce no guilt or diftur- 
bance into the mind ; hence, if the will or 
paffions prompt us to do, or leave any thing 
undone, we {hould fufpe6l the treachery of 
our own hearts, as knowing that the heart 
is deceitful above all things, and desperately 
•wicked;* and, unlefs it (hould be in a cafe 
that is very plain at firft view, we ought to 
call in our own reafon and the word of God, 
to hold an arbitration upon it before we a£t, 
and by fo doing we {hould fave ourfelves 
many a fore wound, and ftripe of confci- 
ence, and from committing and betraying 
ourfelves into many inconfiftencies, which 

*Jer. xvii. 9. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 101 

would not only hurt our chriftian characters, 
but would alfo effentially injure our reputa- 
tion among men in the world. 

Religion begets in us a fweet and graci- 
ous temper of foul, calm in itfelf, and lo- 
ving to mankind ; but anger, hatred, or re- 
venge, prejudice, or evil furmifing, are, ge- 
nerally fpeaking, the offspring of the devil, 
and they who poflefs them carry afire in their 
own bofoms ; whereas religion is love, and, 
fays John, God is love, and he that dxvelleth 
in love dwelleth in God, and God in him /* 
but whosoever hatetb his brother, is a mur- 
derer ; and ye know that no murderer hath 
eternal life abiding in him.\ It w r as this 
malevolent fpirit which led Cain to kill his 
brother, but after he had done the wicked 
deed, the voice of his brothers blood cried 
unto heaven from the ground^ and the Lord 
troubled his confeience continually, he 
was afraid that every one who fa\y him 
would flay him. There is fomethingofthe 
fame guilt and mifery attending every one's 
confeience, who indulges the fame morofe 
tempers of mind ; but the religious man can 
feel his foul unruffled, his heart calm, and 
all the tempers of his mind undiilurbed a- 
12 

* I John iv. 16. f I John iii. 15. \ Gen iv. 10. 



102 A GUIDE TO 

mid life's tempeftuous fea ; while the con- 
trary characters are beating continually up- 
on the dreadful waves of perturbation, mor- 
tification, and keen diftrefs ; for there is no 
peace to the xvicked, they are like the trou- 
bled sea xvhen it cannot rest, xvhose waters 
cast up mire and dirt.* 

Religion alfo begets in us a freedom of 
fpirit, and banifhes groundless fears, fool- 
ilh imaginations, and all daftardlv thoughts ; 
but fonie perfons are all their lifetime sub- 
ject to bondage through fear, they are con- 
tinually perplexing themfelves about fome 
evils before them. If a man had the whole 
world at will, and was poffeffed of thefe 
fears, we might venture to defy him to en- 
joy any real happinefs ; but this religion 
teaches us to form right conceptions of God, 
that he tranfafits all things with mankind as 
a loving father with his children, and that 
his eyes are over the righteous for good, and 
his ears are often nnto their prayers f{ and 
that he delights not in the miiery of his 
creatures. As religion is love, we are told 
perfect love casteth out fear j[ it creates in us 
the moft rational Satisfaction, and affords 
us the joy of a good confcience, fo that it 

* Ifai. lvii. 20, 21. f I ?et. hi- 12. 

| 1 John iv. 18, 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 103 

may be faid the peace of a good man flows 
like a river, and his righteousness as the 
waves of the sea.* When he lies down or 
rifes up, he has a conftant fenfe of God's 
paternal care over him, and love towards 
him ; he can more confidently truft in the 
goodnefs of God, than he could in the good- 
nefs of the near eft and beft friend he has up- 
on earth — He is a friend that sticketh closer 
than a brother;^ can a woman forget her 
sucking child, that she should not have com- 
passion on the son of her womb f yea, they 
may forget, yet will I not forget thee,% faith 
the Lord. David could fay, when my fa- 
ther and mother forsake me, then the Lord 
will take me up ;\\ yea, fays God, fear not 
thou rvorm Jacob, and ye men of Israel, I 
will help thee ;** yea, I will uphold thee, 
by the right hand of my righteousness ; when 
thou passest through the waters I xvill be 
with thee, and through the rivers they shall 
not overfloxvthee ; when thou xvalkest through 
the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither 
shall the flame kindle upon thee ;ff then we 
can fay, behold God is my salvation, I will 
trust and not be afraid, for the Lord Jeho- 

* Ifai. xlviii. 1 8. f Pi'ov. xviii. 24. 
\ Tfa.xlix. 15. || Pia. xxvii. 10. 

** Ifai, xli. 14. tt Ifai. xliii. 2. 



104 A GUIDE TO 

vah is my strength, and my song, he also is 
become my salvation.* 

Religion advances the foul in its juftfov- 
ereignty over the inferior appetites ; moft 
of the miferies among men fpring from let- 
ting the beaftly nature rule inftead of the 
rational ; but religion teaches us to check 
and mortify thofe unruly propenfities, and 
to keep them within their due limits ; it al- 
fo ftrengthens ourreafon againft the affaults 
of the world, the flcfh, and the devil, which 
is effected chiefly by mortifying the appe- 
tites, and refraining- from intemperance; 
for it is that which generally fruft rates the 
work of religion, either by ftupifying or en- 
raging the fpirits or by putting them into 
irregular motions. 

It is clear then that religion isfomething 
more than a mere acquaintance with fyf- 
tems of divinity, or our reading a great ma- 
ny books ; for notions of religion can no more 
make us good Chriftians, than barely pof- 
f effing books of arts and iciences can make 
us learned. If we have true religion, w r e 
have Christ formed in our hearts, the hope 
of glory ; then as he is the Sun of righte- 
ousness and the light of the world, this light 
will fhine forth through all our actions and 

* Juii. xii. 2. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 105 

deportment to thofe around us ; for Chrift 
did not come here upon earth merely to 
eftablifh opinions in the world, but to 
change the hearts and reform the manners 
of men — he came to expiate and atone for 
our fins, but the end of all this was that we 
might forfake ungodliness and worldly lusts y 
and live soberly, righteously, and godly, in 
this present world.* 

This religion is both an inward and out- 
ward work: the inward is a ftrong faith 
that overcomes the world, and a iupreme 
love to God that cafts out fear — a peace 
that paffeth all underftanding, and ? joy in 
the Holy Ghoft. They who have this work 
wrought in them, have the anfwer of a good 
confcience ; for there is no condemnation to 
them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk 
not after the flesh, but after the spirit ;f they 
are cleanfed from the defilement of fin, and 
it is their privilege to rejoice evermore, pray 
without ceasing, and in every thing give 
thanks, for this is the will of God, in Christ 
Jesus, concerning them. J The outward 
work is to flee not only from open grofs 
fins, but from every appearance of evil — to 
fubmit ourfelves to all known duties, and 

* Titus ii. 12. t Rom. viii. I. 

J 1 Theff. v. 16, 17, 18. 



106 A GUIDE TO 

to follaw peace v/ith all men, and holiness^ 
ivithont which no man shall see the Lord.* 
Seeing that our religion is experimental as 
well as practical, we may take notice, that 
there is no religion in the world either 
Jewifh, Turkifh, or Pagan, fo carelefsly 
obferved by its profelytes ; and one caufe 
that may be affigned for it is, their institu- 
tions are for the mod part outward cere- 
mony or bodily exercifes, whereas univer- 
fal goodnefs and virtue are the indifpenfa- 
ble injunctions of chriftianity — But there 
is another and more weighty caufe-jpf this 
delinquency ; our religion is fo pure in its 
nature, that the carnal heart has no. relilh 
for it. We may eafily perceive the force of 
this, if we attend to a few particulars : the 
truth of chriftianity is a great deal better at- 
tefled ; it (hinds upon the foundation of more 
inconteftable evidence ; it promifes us great- 
er things, both in this world and the next, 
if we obey its precepts ; and on the other 
hand, pronounces the moil dreadful curfes 
and judgments againft us, if we difobey ; 
then what elfe but the fallen nature in man, 
could induce them to be fo much more care- 
lefs about it, than the Turks and Pagans 
are in the obfervance of theirs. 

* Heb. xii. 14. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 10/ 

To abfta'm from every appearance of 
evil, and keep ourfelves unfpotted from the 
world, goes againft the grain, lays the axe 
at the root of the carnal mind, and hews 
Agag in pieces : whereas thofe other opi- 
nions of religion being merely human, re- 
quire no fuch facrifices, but allow men to 
indulge themfelves in evil habits, and live 
according to the lulls of their own hearts. 
I have fomewhere read a remark of Dio- 
genes Laertius, who gives this reafon why 
the Epicureans kept clofer to their rules 
than the Stoics, became the firft enjoined 
only what men had a mind to be, but the lat- 
ter what they ought to be. 

A perfon poffeffing this religion cannot 
fail of b?ing meafurably happy: for true 
felicity does not confift in outward things, 
as has already been mentioned, but in an. 
inward fenfe of God's divine approbation ; 
fo that their happinefs does not depend up- 
on the applaufe of men, health of body, or 
profperity in bufinefs ; it is that which the 
world cannot give nor take away : then as it 
is not founded upon the fluctuating opinions 
of men, nor upon the fleeting things of 
fenfe, it has the eternal Rock of Ages 
for its bafis, and the gates of hell cannot 
prevail againft it ; fo that it is calculated t© 



108 A GUIDE TO 

infpire the mod permanent contentment of 
mind. 

A short Vitvj of the Character of a reli- 
gious Man. 

LET ns now take a fhort view of the 
righteous man's character, that we may- 
form a truer eftimate of his felicity : he is 
a fervant of God, doing the moft honoura- 
ble work, and a6ting from the pureft prin- 
ciples, poffeffed of the greateft peace of 
mind, and has the faireft profpe6l of a moft 
glorious end — nozv being made free from 
sin, and become servants to God, we have 
our fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasU 
ing life ^ being justified by faith, we have 
peace with God, through gut Lord Jesus 
Christ.^ God is his father ; Chrift is his 
friend, and the Holy Spirit is his comfort- 
er. He has godlinefs with contentment, 
which is great gain, having promise of the 
life that noxv is, and of that which is to 
come.\ Whatever enemies he may have, 
he overcomes them with good ; and what- 
ever injury they may defign to do him, hie* 
foul is above feeling harrowed up with pre- 
judice, anger, or revenge againft them, or 

* Rom. vi. 22, t Rom. v. I. \ 1 Tim. iv. 8. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 1Q9 

letting his mind be tortured with any thing 
of the kind, that is bafe or difmgenuous ; 
he enjoys fweet communion with God, in 
fecret places, and has the moll delightful 
views of the glories of his divine Mailer. 

Religion raifes him to the mod fublime 
hopes, and it opens to him the mod ravifh- 
ing and blifsful profpecls, which tends to 
fpreada facred joy and fatisfaclion through 
all his powers ; his views are not confined 
within the narrow limits of this prefent ftate, 
but extend even to eternity ; he can upon 
folid grounds stand and rejoice in hope of 
the glory of God ;# in proportion as this hope 
prevails, he has heaven brought down to 
him in fome happy beginnings here on 
earth ; like Mofes, on the top of Pifgah, 
he can view the goodly land, or he is loft in 
a pleafmg reverie, like the three difciples 
when they beheld their Lord transfigured 
upon the mount, and faid it is good for us 
to be here ;f his foul is often made like the 
chariots of Amminidab, he is fo taken up in 
heavenly contemplations, that for a few mi- 
nutes at a time, he forgets whether he is in 
heaven or upon earth ; by faith he outrides 
all the ftormsof a tumultuous life, and keeps 
K 

* Rom. v. 2. f Matt. xvii. 4. 



110 A GUIDE TO 

the world continually under his feet ; he 
does not envy the lot of the rich, and of the 
great, but often looks down upon them with 

He lives in peace with all around him, 
provides things honeft in the signt of all 
men, and his greateft pleafure is in doing 
good to the fouls and bodies of his fellow 
creatures ; he is never better pleafed than 
when he fees all happy in his neighbour- 
hood ; he is fo far from trying to fet his 
neighbours at variance, that he is quite the 
oppofite character — one, that our Lord ad- 
dreffes, in his fermononthe mount, Blessed 
are the peace-makers, for they shall be called 
the children of God;* he is the salt of the 
earth, the light of the world, and a city set 
on on hill, which cannot be hid.'\ 

Now we may confider fuch a man as this 
not only happy becaufe of the amiable prin- 
ciples he poffeffes, s or the peace he has with 
his neighbours around him, but more parti- 
cularly becaufe God himfelf has pronounced 
him fo ; happy art thou, Israel; zvho is 
like unto thee, people saved by the Lord;% 
happy is the people tvhose God is the Lord;\\ 
and happy is he that hath the God of Jacob 

* Matt. v. 9. f Matt. v. -IS, 14. 

\ Dcutxxxin. 29. || Pial. cxliv. 15. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. Ill 

for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his 
God.* This man has the Son of God walking 
with him through the fiery furnace, and pro- 
te6linghiminthemidftoftheraveningbeafts 
of prey; and when he is called to refign 
his mortal life, his hope is full of immortal- 
ity, he can carry his views beyond the grave, 
and fay, with David, " The Lord is my fhep- 
herd, I (hall not want ; he makethme to lie 
down in green paftures ; he leadeth me 
befide the (till waters ; he reftoreth my foul ; 
he leadeth me in the paths of righteoufnefs, 
for his name's fake : yea, though I walk 
through the valley of the fhadow of death, 
1 will iear no evil ; for thou art with me, 
thy rod and thy ftaff they comfort me."f 
When the laft mortal pang is paft, and his 
foul is diflodged from this cumberous clay, 
he is borne away, like Lazarus, by angels, in- 
to Abraham's bofom, where all tears will be 
wiped from his eyes, and God will give all the 
righteous to shine forth as the sun in the 
kingdom of their Father for ever and ever. 

Some Objections stated, and answered, against 
the Happiness of a religious Life, 

There are certain objections made againft 
tlie happinefs of a religious life, which it is 

* JPfal, cxlvi. 5. f Pfal. xxiii. 1,2, 3,4. 



112 A GUIDE TO 

neceflary for us tcf anfvver. Say they, the 
practice of religion and virtue, however plea- 
fant in idea, is, in fact, difagreeable to the 
greateft part of mankind — that the duties 
thereof require fuch felf-denial and morti- 
fication of the appetites and paffions, that 
they are inconfiftent with happinefs — that 
repentance, which is the firft neceflary ftep 
to a religious life, is attended with bitter 
pangs and forrows — and that this chriftian 
courfe is not only difficult in our firft en- 
trance, but is all the way troublefome and 
uneafy ; it requires a conftant watchfulnefs 
and a ftrict difcipline to be exercifed over 
our own hearts, and the like : and there 
are fome whom it would be the height of 
uncharitablenefs not to think fmcerely reli- 
gious, who fpend their davs in fadnefs and 
mar all the pleafures of human life. 

Such are the objections in the minds of 
men againft religion ; but it is no hard mat- 
ter to fhew, that notwithftanding all this, 
its ways are ways of pleafantnefs, and all its 
paths peace. * The difficulties and troubles 
objected againft, do not arife from religion 
itfelf, or any thing in its own nature that is 
difagreeable, but wholly from the indifpofi- 
tion and corruption of the human heart ; it 

* Prov. Yiu \7. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 113 

is no juft objection againft religion and vir- 
tue that thole who are under the power of 
vicious habits and irregular appetites, find 
no pleafure in it. In this cafe the fault is not 
to be charged upon religion, but upon the 
perverfenefs of their own tafte ; a blind man 
cannot be delighted with colours, or a deaf 
man with melody : food maybe ever fo plea- 
fant to the tafte, though a vitiated palate can 
not reliili it : religion is none the lefs ex- 
cellent, becaufe it gives no delight to an 
impure and unholy foul. But that we may 
receive fatisfaction in it, let us labour^ear- 
neftly to get our hearts purified, and a hap- 
py change wrought in the temper of our 
minds, let us apply ourfelves to God in 
humble and fervent prayer, that he may be 
pleafed gracioufly to create a clean heart 
within us, and to renew a right fpirit, and 
enable us to difcern the things that are tru- 
ly excellent. 

Let it be further obferved that even 
thofe duties which feem moll difficult, and 
that we have the greateft averfion to, are, 
if rightly underftood, not only highly rati- 
onal, but lay a foundation for the trueft fa- 
tisfaction of mind ; fuch as the mortifi- 
cation of our corrupt appetites and paffions. 
It mult indeed be acknowledged to be a dif- 
K 2 



114 A GUIDE T0 

ficult work, but we often reprcfent it to 
ourfelves to be greater than what it really 
is, for if we fet about the work in good ear- 
ned, the Spirit of God will affift our infirm 
mi ties, and make darkness light before ut, 
arid crooked thing? straight, and hard things 
easy. 

Whatever pains it may coft us to corre6l 
our evil habits, it may be truly faid, the 
man who mortifies his vicious lulls, has 
more rational felf-enjoyment, than he who 
indulges them ; for he only controls the 
flefh, his more bafe and brutifh part, in or- 
der to exalt his foul, the nobler part of his 
nature : but the oppofite character debafes 
that noble foul which was made to poiTefs 
the image of God, into a fervile fubjeclion 
to beaftly appetites ; the foul has an origi- 
nal claim to fuperiority, its right is to arbi- 
trate and fet as the preceptor, and it is the 
bufmefs of the inferior appetites to obey : 
then it is eafy to fee that while the immor- 
tal fpirit is kept in fubjeclicn to the luft of 
the flefh, human nature is all diforganized, 
and the rational part can never be happy in 
fuch a ftate, no more than a king or gover- 
nor could be happy when he is kept in chains 
and flavery by his fubjecls: then in the 
mortification of thofe appetites, the happi- 
ueifis of the foul connfts in a good degree ; 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 115 

not only becaufc it obtains its juft fove- 
reignty over the body, but becaufe it has 
the approbation of its Maker in fo doing, 
and acls up to that for which it was created. 
It may be added further, the chief diffi- 
culties in breaking off from our corrupt ha- 
bits, and applying ourfelves in good ear- 
neil to the practice of piety, is at the firft 
fetting out ; but proportionably ^ we ad- 
vance in it, the eafier and pleafanter it w r ill 
grow. It is true, they that will live godly 
in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution ;* 
but that is no argument againft the happi- 
nefs of a religious life, for there is nothing 
more common than this, that when a man 
differs from the majority, a great many 
ill-natured things will be (aid againft him : 
when a man obtains any high title of ho- 
nour, or gets into anv great office of ft ate, 
the proud w r ill envy him, and he will be the 
butt of their cenfures and raillery ; fowhen 
we get higher in the favour of God than o- 
ther men, they will perfecute and deride 
us, although they may be fenlible in the 
meantime, that we enjoy more happinefs 
than they do ; but it is the very difpofition 
of the children of the bond women, to per- 
fecute the children of the free : never- 

* 2 Tim, in. 12. 



1 16 A GUIDE TO 

thelefs there is one thing to comfort 'lis, 
thefe perfecutions do not cleave 19 our out- 
fide garments, they are only the corrupt 
hreath of men of perverfe minds ; and in the 
midftofour greateft difficulties and perfe- 
cution, we frequently enjoy the greateft 
comfort, for when did the difciples rejoice 
more, than when they were returning from 
the magiftrates, after being beaten with ma- 
ny ftripes; and when did Paul and Silas 
fing more joyfully than when their hands 
and feet were made fall in the flocks in a 
dark dungeon; fo this makes the obfervati- 
on good, the w r orld cannot give this happi- 
nefs, neither can it take it away : If ye suffer 
for righteousness sake y happy are ye ;* bles- 
sed or happy are they which are persecuted 
for righteousness sake^for theirs is the king- 
dom of heaven.^ 

As to any objections drawn from the fad 
and uncomfortable lives of many, who feem 
to be religious, this is not owing to religi- 
on itfelf, but generally to faults or miftakes 
in thofe thatprofefs it, owing either to their 
want of fuitable confidence in God, or to 
their indulging themfelves in fome bofom 
fin that they have not wholly facrificed, or 
leaning in their affections too much to the 

* 1 Pet. ill. 14. t Matt. v. 10. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 117 

world, or elfe omitting fome known duty ; 
any of thefe as well as a variety of other 
things that might be named, have a natural 
tendency to make the foul unhappy ; for 
fays the apoftle, if in this life only zve have 
hope in Christ, zve are of all men most mise- 
rable.* A half-hearted Chriftian, it mull 
be allowed, has but very little fatisfaclion ; 
he cannot indulge himfelf in fleflily gratifi- 
cation, nor yet enjoy the happinefs arifmg 
from a fenfe of God's favour, but he is con- 
tinually toffed upon the troubled waves of 
hope and fear in quick fucceflion, which 
keep his foul on a rack of mifery. Let us 
not be of the lukewarm or fearful unbe- 
lieving kind, but like Caleb, let us u wholly 
follow the Lord, adding to our faith virtue, 
and to virtue knowledge, and to know- 
ledge temperance, and to temperance pa- 
tience, and to patience godlinefs, and to 
godlinefs brotherly kindnefs, and to bro- 
therly kindnefs, charity j^f that we may 
" be able to comprehend with all faints, 
what is the breadth, and length, and depth, 
and height, and to kn6w the love of Chrift 
which paffeth knowledge, that we may be fil- 
led with thefulnefs of God. ,J { When we ar« 

♦Cor. xv. 19. f 1 Pet. u 5, h 7 T, 
\ Eph. iii. 18. 19. 



118 A GUIDE TO 

rive to this experience, we fhall be able to 
form a proper eftimate of the happinefs of 
a religious life. 

Some considerations offered, and rules to be ob- 
served, in order to a Holy and Happy Life. 

THE following confiderations and 
rules, I recommend toallwelldifpofed peo- 
ple, forafmuch as they regard their prefent 
and future happinefs, that they may perufe 
them carefully, and attend to them ftridtty, 
that they may be a light to their feet, and a 
lamp to their path, and guide their unwary 
fteps fafely on through the various fcenes of 
human life : Then before we enter upon 
thofe rules, there are two things necefiary 
for us to call our attention to. 

Firsts To confider feriouily upon the im- 
mortality of our fouls, and to labour for a 
fuitable knowledge of ourfelves. If we 
were altogether like beads, deflitute of ra- 
tional fouls, then we might go on and gra- 
tify all our fenfual appetites, without re- 
ftraint ; but let us confider our fouls are im- 
mortal, and that when the foundations of 
nature Hi all give way, the pillars of heaven 
be diffolved, and the fun and moon no long- 
er endure, our fouls fhall flourifli in im- 
mortal youth — fhall exift, either in blifs or 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 119 

torment, through the endlefs ages of eter- 
nity. Can we think ferioufly upon this, and 
fubmit thofe dignified principles, the wil- 
ling vaflals of fleihly lufts ? only let us ima- 
gine thus with curfelves, that w r e are now 
in eternity — that myriads of ages are alrea- 
dy elapfed, and that our blifs or our tor- 
ment is only as it were beginning : well, that 
will actually be the cafe, for life is only 
the introduction of our exiftence : fliould 
we not then take fome pains to procure the 
happinefs of thofe immortal parts, or would 
we act fo much like a filly child, who has 
a jewel of vaft worth, and calls it into deep 
waters where it cannot be found again, as 
though it was of no more value than a com- 
mon ftone : fhall we then call our foul's a- 
way (which are worth more to vis than a 
thoufand worlds) into the bottomless pit, by 
our finfulnefs or negligence ? let us confi- 
der in time what we are about, for if we 
lofe our fouls, they are gone for ever. 
Then if we really believe in their immor- 
tality, can we as rational creatures, labour 
night and day, and fpend all our time in 
laying up fomething for the body, which is 
of fuch a (hort duration, and wholly neglect 
our better part, that rauft exift for ever — 
furely the moil valuable part ought to be- 
an object of our greateft concern. 



120 X GUIDE TO 

But that we may take care of our better 
part, it is neceffary that .we fhould come to 
a proper knowledge of ourfelves, in order 
that we may act with a fui table decorum at 
all times, and upon all occafions. But there 
is one thing here particularly to be noticed, 
and that is, in the inveftigation of felf ; it is 
a very eafy matter to find out all our excel- 
lencies, graces, or good properties, and 
even to fwell and exaggerate them ; but 
the main point is for us to know our weak- 
neffes and blemilhes, this is of importance 
both in a chriftian and civil life. 

For, 1ft, If we do not know our finful- 
nefs, and that by nature, we are altogeth- 
er unfit forthe kingdom of heaven, and that 
there is no soundness in us^ we never 
fhall come to God for pardon, for they that 
be -whole need not a physician, but they that 
are sick^ fo that if we do not feel ouriick- 
nefs, we fhall not apply to a phyfician for a 
cure, and if we know nothing of our weak- 
ness, we Hi all never guard fuitably againft 
temptation : the apollle fays, let us lay 
aside every xv eight, and the sin which doth 
so easily beset us,% &c. Every man lias 
a weak fide, and it is a great matter to 
know and guard againft it, for our enemy 

* Ifai. i. 6. f Matt, ix. 12. $ HA. xii. 1. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 121 

will attack us, fconer on that quarter than 
any other. 

2d. This knowledge of ourfelves is alfo 
neceflary in order to fupport our dignity in 
the fight of men, for if we know nothing of 
our foibles, we fhall be apt to fhow them 
in every company where we go, and ex* 
pofe ourfelves to the remarks and ridi- 
cule of all about us, for if we are blind to 
our own foibles, others are not; they take 
more notice of them than of our molt mi- 
ning accomplishments : but if we are ac- 
quainted with thofe weakneffes ourfelves^ 
we can keep them fo much out of the view 
of others, as to pafs for tolerably wife per- 
fons, although we ourfelves are fenfible in 
the mean time, how far we are deficient. 
If any maiTfuppofes that he has no fuch 
weakneffes, this is a fure mark that he has 
great ones, and butlittle knowledge of him- 
felf ; for the more knowledge a man has, 
the more he difcovers his deficiency: but 
as it w T as faid before, with a very fmall 
fhare of knowledge a man may know his 
excellencies, becaufe this is perfectly con- 
fiftent with fallen nature, and is what fwelk 
the heart with vanity. 

But one great benefit of felf-knowledge 
is, it will keep us from being puffed up with 
L 



122 A GUIDE T® 

applaufe on the one hand, and from finking 
by reproach on the other ; for if others ihould 
difcover any of our foibles, and reproach 
us for them, we feel in ourfelves that we 
in fome meafure deferve it, and inftead of 
breaking out into bitter rage and revenge, 
it has no other effecTt upon us, but ihame 
and amendment; and if they fhould re- 
proach us for well doing, we can only pity 
their ignorance, and exercife compaffion ; 
there is no way to make them more effectu- 
ally alhamed of their conduct, than to take 
no notice of their reproaches, and to pafs 
them by with indifference ; they will then 
difcover that we have minds that are too 
great to be moved by a corrupt breath of 
words : but if they fhould applaud us for 
our wifdom or good actions, we are fo well 
convinced of the weakneffes in ourfelves, 
which lie concealed from their view, that 
this proves a fufficient barrier againft pride 
and oftentation : thus our fouls are ftable 
and not affecled by the breath of men. Who 
can imagine the finguiar advantage we gain 
by fuch a knowledge both in the tranquility 
of our minds, and from the propriety of 
our deportment and conduit among our fel* 
low men which it produces ; for by it we 
^void many fnares which otherwife would 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 123 

injure us effentially, both in our perfons and 
reputation. 

Secondly. It will be well for us to confi- 
der, that we are accountable beings to God, 
as our Sovereign and Judge ; as our Maf- 
ter, who bought us with a price ; and 
as our Father, who begat us: therefore 
we are not left to our own difpofals, to 
act as we pleafe ;for the Lord is oar Judge, 
and the Lord is our lawgiver :* he has given 
us rules to fquare our lives by, and notes 
down all our actions in the book of his re- 
membrance, -with every secret thing, rvhe- 
ther it be good or whether it be evil\\ then 
whatever thought, word, or action, we 
wquld not wifh brought forward, in the de- 
ciffive day of reckoning, let us not indulge 
ourfelves in here. God's law requires not 
only an outward conformity to the rules of 
morality, but alfo truth in the inward parts , 
that we fhould be reftored both to his fa- 
vour by juftification and adoption, and to 
his iniage by purity or fan edification ; that 
we fhould poffefs perfect love to him and 
perfect humility before him ; there is no* 
thing fhort of a whole facrifice that he will 
accept of: the command is, be ye holy, for 
lam holy ;\ be ije therefore perfect, even as 

*Ifa.xxxiii. 22. \ Eccl. xii. U. % 1 Pet. i. 16. 



124 „ A GUIDE TO 

your Father which is in heaven is perfect* 
This is nothing lefs than to have the whole 
image of Satan erafed from our hearts, and 
the fling of death extracted, which is fin ; 
and to be filled with all the communicable 
fulnefs that is in Chrift, or which is called 
in other words, a having the mind which 
xvas in Christ : we can then fay, now being 
made free from sin, and become servants to 
God, rue have our fruit unto holiness, and the 
end everlasting life;^ for holy aclions are 
the confequent fruits of fuch a change ; ho- 
linefs and happinefs are infeparable compa- 
nions ; and he that does not attain to the 
one, can never enjoy the other, in a very 
great degree ; for proportionably as we in- 
creafe in holinefs, we partake of the nature 
of God, get nearer to him, and realize more 
of his glory. And it is this holinefs that 
gives us a title to the kingdom of heaven; 
for no unclean or unholy thing ftiall enter 
there : as God is the fountain of all true 
happinefs, and holinefs is the way to get 
- nearer to him, therefore, they who are moft 
holy are poffeffed of the greateft happinefs, 
becaufe they are the neareft to him who is 
the fource of happinefs : and as holinefs 
gives us a title to, and a well grounded hope 

* Matt. v. 48. f Rom. vi. 22. 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 125 

of the crown of life hereafter, and as a 
great deal of our happinefs depends upon 
anticipation, as well as a6lual enjoyment, 
therefore holinefs is neceffary to give us this 
happinefs of anticipation, or the felicity of 
believing that if our earthly house of this ta- 
bernacle xvere dissolved, we have a building 
of God, an house not made with hands, eter- 
nal in the heavens ;* or of faying, henceforth 
there is laid up for me a crown of righteous- 
ness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, 
shall give me at that day.\ The following 
rules may be confidered as fo many fruits 
of a holy life: — 

Rule 1st. Let us be careful not to fet too 
high a value upon earthly things, which 
are to perish in the using ,-J but undoubted- 
ly every creature of God is good if it be re- 
ceived with thanks giving, \\ and they were 
defigned for our comfort and happinefs ; 
and fo far as we ufe them for the glory of 
God, fo far we enjoy the true end of them ; 
but if we fet too much of our affedlions up- 
on them, he whofe name is jealous, will 
Jook down upon us with difpleafure and dis- 
approbation : and they who covet to be rich 
L2 

* 2 Cor.v. 1. |2 Tim. iv. 8. 
$ Col. li. 22. fj 1 Tim. iv. 4. 



126 A GUIDE TO 

(in the things of this world) fall into tempta- 
tion and a snare, and into many foolish and 
hurtful lusts, zvhich drown men in destruc- 
tion and perdition.* There is a certain delu- 
fion in riches, it is reprefented to the mind 
that if we poffefied fuch a large eftate, we 
ihould be free from wants ; but he that lo- 
veth silver shall not be satisfied with silver, 
nor he that love th abundance, with increase ;f 
for as a man enlarges his fortune, he in- 
creafes his expenfes : fays Solomon* xvhen 
goods increase, they are increased that eat 
them, and what good is there to the owners 
thereof, saving the beholding of them with 
their eyes ;% fo that the rich man is fre- 
quently as much ftraitened to defray all the 
charges he is at, as the man who has only 
a bare competency to defray the imaller ex- 
penfes he is at; and properly fpeaking, the 
poor man enjoys the blefiings of life as 
much as the rich, and perhaps more, for 
the sleep of a labouring man is sweet, -whe- 
ther he eat little or 7nuch, but the abundance 
of the rich, will not suffer him to sleep ;\\ 
though the rich man has more of the fuper- 
ftuities of life, it is probable thefe frequent- 
ly do him more harm than good, not only 

* l Tim. vu 9, t Eccl. v. 10. 

JEcci. v. 10. I] Eccl. v. 12. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 127 

by depriving him of his natural reft, but al- 
io by injuring his conflitution and Ihorten- 
inghis days: but ftriclly fpeaking, if the 
poor man has a Efficiency of food and rai- 
ment, he enjoys . ? much as the rich ; for 
enjoyment does nc onfift in lavifhnefs or 
waftefulnefs, neither in an abufe of the good 
things of life, u e. by fpending them un- 
necefiarily, or in abufing ourfelves or them 
by getting intoxicated with, or ufmg them 
to excefs ; therefore, having food and rai- 
ment, let us be therewith cor tent :^ but be- 
ing contented with a competency, by no 
means incourages idlenefs ; for if any man 
-will not xvork, neither shall he eat :f and, 
fays the apoftle, them that are such, we 
command and exhort by our Lord Jesus 
Christ, that xvith quietness they xvork and 
eat their own bread ;% and it is next to im- 
poffible for idlenefs and honefty, to dwell 
long together, unlefs we have an indepen- 
dency to fupport ourfelves in it. If any pro- 
'vide not for his own, and especially for those 
of his oxvn house, he hath denied the faith, 
and is xvorse than an infidel ;|] then it is our 
duty to provide for honest things not only in 
the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight 

* 1 Tim, vi. 8. t 2 Thef. iii. !0. % Thef. iii. 12. 
f| i Tim. v. 8. 



128 A GUIDE TO 

of men ;* and to owe no man any thing, 
but to love one another, to render to every 
man his due ; tribute to whom tribute, and 
custom to whom custom^ is due, &c. 

If ax*y man by honeft induftry (without 
coveting it) fliould be fmiled upon by pro- 
vidence, and advanced to a fortune in life, 
and fhould ufe it in a proper manner, it will 
be a blefting ; but if improperly, it will be a 
curfe : for this may be confidered as five 
talents put into his hands to improve to the 
glory of God, and the good of his fuffering 
fellow creatures ; fo that when he is called 
to give an account of his ftewardfhip, if he 
has buried his talents in the earth, or hid 
them in a napkin, it will fare far worfe 
with him than if he had been as poor as La- 
zarus who lay at the rich man's gate : if 
men were to confider this rightly, they 
would be fhocked at the very idea of riches, 
knowing that if they have them, the more 
will be required at their hands ; but he who 
improves what he has to the glory of God 
in giving to the poor, and in relieving the 
diflrefied, and the like, will be amply rewar* 
ded in that day, when God fhall come t& 
make up his jeivels^ in hearing him fay, 

* 2 Cor. viii. 1* t Rom xiii. 7, 8. 
$ Mai. iiii. 17. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 129 

thou hast been faithful over a few things, I 
will make the ruler over many things ; enter 
thou into the joy of thy Lord.* 

Then let not the rich man glory in his rich* 
es,~\ for they are only lent for a fmall time, 
and then will be taken away; and fays Paul, 
charge them that are rich in thisxoorld, that 
they be not high-minded, nor trust in uncer- 
tain riches, but in the living God, who giv- 
eth its richly all things to enjoy. % Let not 
the rich manfuppofe that he is any wifer or 
better than others, becaufe he has more of 
the mammon of unrighteoufnefs committed 
to his charge*, for a few days ; neither let 
him a6l as though he was fuperior to them, 
for he is only mortal and fub] ct to pain 
like them, and expofed, as they are, to 
death, and muft have his dull mingled 
fliortly with theirs, in the filent grave, and 
ftand before the fame judgment feat, and 
be dealt with as impartially., and with as 
much rigour as the pooreft man living : let 
liim alfo remember, that if he difdains or 
flights the poor, that God, who is the Judge 
of all, does not ; for behold a Lazarus car- 
ried by angels into Abraham's bofom, and 
kaih not God chosen the poor of this world 

* Matt. xxv. 21. f Jer. i^. 23. 

$ 1 Tim. vi. 17. 



150 A GUIDE TCr 

rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom.* And 
farther, remember him that was rich, yet 
for our sokes became poor, that we, through 
his poverty, might be rich ;f he humbled 
himself, and came in the form of a servant, 
&?c. yet let not the poor man think that in 
confequence of his poverty alone, that he 
is the favourite of heaven ; for none are 
fuch, either rich or poor, butthofe who are 
faithful in occupying till their Lord comes* 
Rule 2. Let us not concern ourfelves too 
much about what men think of us, left if 
they extol us, we lhould have our minds 
puffed up with vanity ; or left if they fay 
fomething evil of us, we feel ourfelves de- 
jected and caft down, or fome rifmgsofre- 
fentment againft them ; any of thefe effecls 
would be dangerous. Says the wife man, take 
no heed unto all words that are spoken, lest 
thou hear thy servant curse thee :% let us 
not trouble ourfelves about the opinions of 
men concerning us, for thefe exercifes have 
a tendency to rob us of that peace and con- 
folation of mind, that a Chriftian ought at 
all times to poffefs. Some are all their life- 
time fubject to bondage, by thefe kinds of 
furmifings, that others have a bad opinion 
of them ; whereas, if all men thought well 
of us, it would make us none the better ; and, 

* James ii. 5. t 2 Cor. viii. 9. % Eel. vii. 2 I . 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 131 

on the other hand, if they were all to think e- 
vil of us, it would make us none the w T orfe ; 
for the apoftle faith, it is a very small thing 
that I should be judged of you, or of man's. 
judgment :* then as men are not to judge 
us, our happinefs ought not to ebb and flow 
according to their opinions about us ; let us 
be contented with knowing that God fees 
the purity of our intentions, whether men 
think evil of us or not, and commit the 
keeping of our souls to him in well doing, as 
unto a faithful Creator.^ But we ought ne- 
ver to act fo as to caufe others to have a bad 
opinion of us, but if they think evil of us, let 
it be for well-doing, or being faithful in the 
discharge of our duty : then the worft will 
be to themfeives, and if they do wrong by 
misjudging us, let us not do wrong in en- 
tertaining any prejudice or grudge in our 
minds againft them, but render unto them 
good for evil, that by fo doing we may ob- 
tain the approbation of God, which isathou- 
fand times better than the good opinions of 
all mankind. 

Rule 3. Let us not indulge ourfelves 
in any thing but what we are willing Ihould 
be proclaiihed upon the houfe-top ; then we 
need never be afraid to have our characters 
inveftigated; but if we commit any fecret? 

* L Cor. ir. 3. f 1 Pet. iv. 19. 



133 A GUIDE TO 

evil, the day is coming when they will be 
expofed to the view of men and angels, 
whether they have ever come to the know- 
ledge of men in this world or not. For God 
shall bring every xvork into judgment, with 
every secret thing, whether it be good or 
xvhether it be evil ^ then we ought always 
to fay with Hagar, when fhe was all alone 
in the wildernefs, thou God seest me ;f be- 
ing affared that however fecreted we may 
be, from the view of an obferving world, 
the flaming eyes of God fearch out our ev- 
ery a6lion. He who commits an evil, be- 
caufe he can hide it from men, proves 
thereby that he has none of the fear of God 
before his eyes, and that he is hypocritical 
in the intentions of his heart. A man who 
indulges himfelf in any capital evils of this 
kind, is always tormented with appiehenfi- 
ons, that by fome means or other, his ini- 
quity willbe difcovered, and we mull know 
that this is very inimical to happinefs ; but a 
confcioufnefs of our own innocence and in- 
tegrity, affords the greatelt tranquility to 
our minds, fo that in every thing the chrif- 
tian has the pre-eminence. 

Rule 4. Let us be pun6lual to our 
word, and honeft in all our dealings ; this 

* Eccl. xii. 14. t Geu. xvi. 13-. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 135 

gives us the faireft reputation among men 
of almoft any thing elfe, and it is juft and 
right that we fhould gain a good reputati- 
on, "if we can do it by honeft and upright 
means. There is nothing that brings more 
credit to the caufe of religion, than for the 
profeflers of it to be punctual in coming up 
to their word, faithful in fulfilling their 
contracts, and honeft in all their dealings ; 
the very motto of chriftian obedience is, all 
things vjhatcoever ye "would that men should 
do 10 you, do ye even so to them;% as we 
w r ould not wiih to be deceived by another 
falfifying his word, fo let us not deceive any 
by falfitying our word. If any unforefeen 
contingence fhould take place, and render 
what we have promifed impracticable, let 
us immediately repair to the perfon, and 
tell him the caufe, that we may not lay un- 
der the ftigma of falfehood. Many a fair 
reputation in other refpecls, has been eflen- 
tially injured, by omitting this one thing. 
According to the doctrine of the fcriptures, 
we are not only to avoid evil itfelf, but ev- 
ery appearance of it. The fame maybe 
faid refpe6ling honefty, inafmuch as we 
would not have men to wrong and to cheat 
M 

* Matt. vii. U. 



134 A GUIDE TO 

us, fo we are bound not to wrong or to 
cheat them, for dilhonefty is a breach of the 
eighth commandment, thou shalt not steal ; 
it is taking away our neighbour's right, if 
we take the advantage of his ignorance, or 
of his neceffity, as much as if we were to 
take his goods away in a clandeftine manner : 
true, it is counted more decent in the eyes 
of the world, (i. e.) it is not fo much re- 
proached ; but in the view of the Searcher of 
hearts, it is the fame, and wealth gotten by 
vanity, shall be diminished ;* or by fuch 
means, fhall not profper. 

Rule 5. Let us never fpeak about an ab- 
fent perfon, without friendfhip or duty 
call us to it ; that is, never fay any thing 
about others, byway of difparagement; for 
fpeaking evil of men behind their backs, is 
no ways calculated to do them any good, or 
thofe we are fpeaking to ; unlefs when duty 
calls us to warn thofe we are converting 
with, to fhun their company and bad exam- 
ples ; but only in,fuch cafes as this, let us 
trouble ourfelves with the faults and fail- 
ings of our neighbours — but as he zvhich hath 
called us, is holy, so let us be holy in all 
manner of conversation^ — let us cultivate 
and improve our own vineyards, at home ; 

* Prov. xiii. 11. t 1 Pet. i. 1$. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 135 

for he who beholds the beam in his own eye, 
fcarcely difcerns the mote in his brother's 
eye. If he is properly humble, he views 
the fins that he has committed himfelfto be 
greater than the fins of other men, becaufe 
every one is mod fenfible of his own fore 
and iicknefs : he not only fees but feels them 
with all their aggravating circumftances ^ 
then if he difcovers the perverfe propenfities 
of his own heart in their true light, or looks 
over his long catalogue of follies, committed 
in pad life, he will fcarcely make the failings 
of other men the fubjecl: of his focial talk. 
If we can fpeak no good of them, let us 
fay nothing about them ; but if we can tell 
of any thing praife-worthy in their aclions, 
it may be well to fpeak oi thefe, that ethers- 
may be encouraged to do likewife ; for let 
us remember, the tongue is an unruly evil, 
full of deadly poiso?i ;* and Solomon fays, 
an ungodly man diggcth up evil, and in his 
Ups there is as a burning fire; a frozvard man 
soweth strife, and a zvhisperer separaleth 
chief friends ;\ and, he that hath a preverse 
tongue falleth into mischief ij then as the 
tongue is an unruly member, we ought to 
hold it continually, as with a bridle ; the 

* James iii. 8. | Prov. xvi. 27, 28. 

% Prov. xvit. 20. 



136 A GUIDE T® * 

greater part of fome people's troubles arife 
from their imprudent or wicked converfa- 
tion : then if we are inclinable to evil com- 
munications, let us think tv^ice before we 
fpeak once, and guard particularly againft 
this weaknefs, left in the opening of our 
lips, we fhould bring deftru&ion."*" God 
has faid,ybr every idle word ttiat men shall 
speak, they shall give an account thereof in 
the day of judgment.^ Alas I how many 
idle words proceed fi*om our lips through 
the courfe of every day ! then what a long 
catalogue of vices will be brought againft 
us, of this kind, if not repented of and for- 
faken in time. 

Rule §. Let us never do any thing through 
refentment — remembering what God fays, 
Vengeance belongeth unto me* I will recom- 
pem$.% True, fometimes it is neceffary to 
correcl evil, but let this be done in a pro- 
per manner, and never until juftice and 
duty compel us to it: in a great many cafes 
it is better to fuffer than to contend ; efpe- 
cially if it only concerns us as individuals ; 
but if the community at large are likely to 
fuffer, and duty calls us to corre6l an evil, 
let us not feel a fecret fatisfaclion it it ; for 
this will prove that there is evil at the root ; 

* Prov. xiii. 3* f Matt. xii. Si. \ Heb. x. 30. 



TRUE HAPF1NESS. 137 

* 

but rathe* let it be our grief and pain ; in 
fo doing we fhall pattern after our Lord ; 
for he doth not afflict willingly, or grieve the 
children of men:* hut when he does, it is 
of neceffity, for their good and for his glo- 
ry. We may be well affured that a holy 
chriftian can never feel pleafure in return- 
ing evil for evil, or bearing the fword of 
jultice ; for if we love our neighbour as 
ourfelves, it will grieve us as much to ex- 
ecute punifhment upon him, as if we our- 
felves had to bear the fame punifnrnent — 
And further, whatever is done through re- 
fentment, is done wrong, however favour- 
ably it may be looked upon by men : he 
that pondereth the hearty discovers the 
principle from which it fprings, and will 
make a memorandum of it in his book a- 
gainft them ; for God does not look merely 
at the outward action, but at the fpirit from 
which that action flows : fo that an action 
may be ever fo right in itfelf, yet he who 
performs it from a bafe or impure princi- 
ple is not juitified therein— Then he who 
avoids a refentful fpirit, feels his heart calm 
and unruffled— paffes on more fmoothly 
through this rugged wildernefs — and alfo 
M 2 

* Lam, Hi. 33. t Prov. xxiv. 12. 



138 A GUIDE TO 

has his hope full of immortality beyond the 
grave. 

Rule 7. Let us ever a6l in God's fear, 
and with a fingle eye to his glory, for if 
thine eye be single, thy xv hole body shall be 
full of light ; but if thine eye be evil, thy 
xvhole body shall be full of darkness,* fays 
our Lord : man then is not the objeft we 
are to feek to pleafe ; for, fays Paul, If I 
yet pleased men, I should not be the servant 
of Christ. "\ It is very poffible for a man to 
preferve a fair character in the fight of his 
fellow-creatures, and ftill be deftitute of 
this piety towards God : but forafmuch as 
God is to be the judge both cf the quick and 
dead,J we muft not be contented with hav- 
ing only a fair outfide, but our hearts with- 
in muft be clean, and our intentions' pure 
in all things — every thing muft be done to 
the glory ofGod,\\ and in the name of Christ. 

There are three ways of offending God — 
firft, by prefumptuouily doing what he has 
forbidden — Secondly, by wilfully leaving 
undone what he has commanded — and 
thirdly, by doing what he has required, 
from improper motives, or with impure 
principles. All evils, in fome way or o- 

* Matt.vw 22, 23. t Gal. i. 10. 

| Ads x. 42. !| 1 Cor. x. 31. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 139 

ther, lie couched under thefe three particu- 
lars : therefore, he who a6ls in the fear of 
God, and with a fingle eye to his glory, 
will avoid offending him in any .of thefe 
ways; he will alfo confult God's pleafure, 
in every thing he does ; for there is nothing 
fo minute or trivial that we are about to do, 
but what we ought to confult the will of 
God in, and pray for his bleffing upon it ; 
for what hope have we, as chriftians, of fuc- 
ceeding well in any thing, unlefs we have 
the bleffing of God with us in what we do. 

Rule 8. Let love be the actuating princi- 
ple of our fouls, and faith the mainlpring of 
all our a6tions ; for love is t be fulfilling of the 
law,* and thou sbalt love the Lord thy God 
xvith all thy hrart, and with all thy soul, and 
-with all thy mind^nd thou shalt love thy neigh* 
hour as thyself :\ on these two commandments 
hang all the law and the prophets. This perfe6l 
lov« to God will lead us to an uniform obe- 
dience to him, for we always defire to pleafe 
the being we love moft ; hence it will lead 
us to the feveral duties and the feveral mor- 
tifications, pointed out in his word : and if 
we love our neighbour as ourfelves, inaf- 
much as we would not do ourfelves a, wilful 
injury, and as no man ever yet hated his 

* Rom. xiii. 10, t Matt. xxii. 37, 39. 40. 



140 A GUIDE TO 

own flesh ;* fo this love will teach us never 
to hate or injure another: forafmuch as we 
wifh to do ourfelves all poffihle good, we 
ought to exercife our benevolence towards 
others. That excellent precept of our Lord 
will exactly fuit with fuch a principle as 
this ; whatsoever ye xvould that men should 
do unto you, do ye even so unto them ; and 
whatfoever ye would not defire men to do 
unto you, that is of an offenfive nature, a- 
void the doing of it unto them. This rule 
will work through all our tranfaftions with 
mankind, and no one can fulfil this precept, 
but he who has love, as his acting principle. 
And we cannot poffefs this love any farther 
than we exercife faith in Chrift, as the 
main fpring of our aclions ; for without 
faith it is impossible to please GW:f faith 
was the ftrong hold of all the ancient wor- 
thies, u who through faith fubdued king- 
doms, wrought righteoufnefs, obtained 
protnifes, ftoppedj the mouths of lions, 
quenched the violence of fire, efcaped the 
edge of the fwc.rd, out of weaknefs were 
made ftrong, waxed valiant in fight, turn- 
ed to flight the armies of the aliens, "J &c. 
It is by faith we stand ;\\ yea, we walk by 

* Eph. v. 29. f Heb.xi. 6. 

\ Hcb. xi. 23, 34. || Rom. xi. 20. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 141 

faith ;* and the just shall live by faith.^ 
Faith in Chrift is as neceffary to the foul as 
nerves and finews are to ihe body, to give 
it motion ; and love to God and all man- 
kind is as neceffary as the foul is to the bo- 
dy, to give it life. If the foul leave the,, 
body, the nerves and finews may remain, 
but they will be dead and ufelefs : fo if we 
lofe our love, we may have a faith remain- 
ing, it is true, but it will be a dead one : 
faith without xvorks is dead^\ being alone : 
then true faith and gofpel love are fo uni-. 
ted, that we cannot have the one without 
having the other. If we live conftantly in 
the exercife of thefe two principles, wefhall 
enjoy continually the kingdom of an in- 
ward heaven. 

Rule 9. Let us never be idly employed, 
foridlenefs may be called the parent of all 
rnifchief. When we are not employed a- 
bout any thing that is ufeful, our minds 
will be taken up with fomething vain or 
trifling. Idlenefs is a grea* inroad to temp- 
tation, in many ways, and renders us inca- 
pable of refilling it ; but if we are always 
bufy in fomething that is ufeful to ourfelves 
or others, either to the foul or to the body, 
it will keep away a whole fwarm of vain, 

* 2 Cor. y. 7. t Gal. iii. II. \ Jam. ii. 20. 



142 A GUIDE TO 

idle, and roving thoughts, which very fre- 
quently pour into the minds of the indolent, 
like the plagues of Egypt. Then let us al- 
ways be in fome ufeful exercifes, either 
working with our hands, purfuing fome 
ufeful branch of knowledge, or vifiting and 
relieving the diftreffed ; and if we are the 
heads of families, praying with and 'for 
them. And there are other duties which 
we ought to be very diligent in : one is 
reading the fcriptures ; and it would be 
well to confine ourfelves to reading a por- 
tion every day, when circumftances will 
admit of it : another is attending on the du- 
ty of fecret prayer, at ftated and fixed times ; 
like Daniel, kneeling down upon our knees 
three times a day, making known our fup- 
plications to the Father of the spirits of all 
fesh: here we can pour out all our cpm- 
plaints, and vent our griefs into his compaf- 
fionate bofom, and receive the fweet re- 
turns of his love and favour, and come a- 
way from a throne of grace, with the an- 
fwer of peace. If we are faithful in thefe 
means, we fhall feel the benefit of it in our 
minds; for God- always compenfates us in 
a good degree, while we are in this world, 
for all our faithful endeavours to pleafe 
him. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 143 

Rule 10. Let us never aim at high things 
in this world. If we are rich, and in ho. 
nourable offices or flations in life, let us 
condescend to men of low estate ;* and if we 
are poor, let us pay a fuitable refpeft to 
thofe who are above us, either in rank, fta- 
tion, or office, rendering honour to -whom 
honour is due ;\ yea, let all of us be subject 
one to another, and be clothed with humility , 
for Godresisteth the proud, andgiveth grace 
to the humble :% for we are all dependent 
one upon another — the rich are dependent 
upon the poor to do their labour, and the 
poor dependent upon the rich for employ- 
ment. Let us attend to the apoftle's cau- 
tion, Be not high-minded, but fear. \\ We 
may be rich to-day, and have the faireit 
profpe6ls of future fuccefs, and all this may 
be blafted to-morrow ; for every thing ra 
this world is fluctuating and uncertain : fo 
that if we are aiming at high things, we may 
get difappointed, in a thoufand ways ; and 
thefe difappointments never fail of making 
our lives miferable. But our Lord teaches 
us a leflbn calculated to make us* happy if at- 
tended to, take my yoke upon you and learn 
vf me, for Jam meek and lowly in heart, and 

* Rom. xii. 16. t Rom. xlii. f* 

£\ Peter v. 5. j|Rpm. xi. 20. 



144 A GUIDE TO 

ye shall find rest to your souls ;* here then 
fellow Chriftians, h our pattern, let us try 
to excel each other in humility. 

Rule 11. Let us watch carefully againft 
what are called little fms, lor this is a necef- 
fary means to keep us from greater : but 
properly fpeaking, there ere no little fins ; 
true fome fms are more aggravated than 
others, but every fin may be called great, 
inafmuch as it is committed againft an 
infinite God, and is the breach of a great 
law ;for -whosoever shall keep the whole lazv, 
and yet offend in one pointy he is- guilty of 
all/'l one fin is enough 3 unrepented of, to 
•link a foul to hell ; then furely we cannot 
with propriety, call fuch a fin fmall : toraf- 
much then, as we would wiili to be favecl 
from all fin,' to have a complete government 
over our own hearts, and always enjoy true 
happinefs, we muft live in a conitant habit 
of xvatchfulness ; zuatch and pray that ye en- 
ter not into temptation :t he sober, be vigi- 
lant, because your adversary the devil, as a 
roaring lion, walketh about seeking whom he 
may devour^ The temptations of the devil 
gaining an afoendeocy over us, is what oc- 
caiians all our troubles ; fin fteals upon us 

♦Mat. xi, 29. f Jan) ii. 10. 

| Mat. xxxvi. 41- || i Peter v. 8. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 145 

by degrees, it firft prefents itfelf to the 
mind in a fingle thought ; then if we are al- 
ways upon our watch ; how eafily it may be 
checked while it is in this ftage, but if we let 
it go on till it gets hold of our imaginations 
and affections, it is very hard to conquer : 
behold how great a matter a little jire kin- 
dleth ;* then if we defire to overcome great 
evils, let us watch' againft what we call lit- 
tle ones, for thefe little things are more 
likely to overcome us, becaufe we appre- 
hend lefs danger from them ; and thefe al- 
ways lead on to greater; if we were fuita- 
bly apprized of their damning nature, and 
of their fatal confequences, we fhould flee 
from them at their firft approach, and have 
no more to do with them than with fo ma- 
ny fcorpions, which carry a poifonous fting 
along with them ; for fin is the sting of 
death,-\ and whether we feel the poifonous 
nature of it at prefent or not, we (hall feel 
it to our coft, if perfifted in. 

If we would war fuccefs fully againft evil, 
we muft have no fellowship xvith the unfruit- 
ful works of darkness, but rather reprove 
them:\ let us not indulge ourfelves in jell- 
ing or idle talking, for this damps immedi- 
N 

* Jam, iii. 5. t 1 Cor. xv. 56, % Eph. v. 1 1. 



146 A GUIDE TO 

ately the ardour of our love, weakens the* 
mainfprhig of our devotion, and creates 
a light and trifling fpirit, which is contrary 
to the mind which was in Chrift. And 
we may do well to remember, that out 
of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
speaketh;^ fo that if our talk is more about 
the world, and the trifling things of fenfe, 
than about God and our heavenly reft, it is 
a bad mark ; it proves that our hearts are 
more fet on things below, than on things a- 
bove ; but if we want to live the lives of 
Chriftians, let us watch carefully againft 
thefe things, as well as all other evils ; for fin 
will try to fteal into our hearts, through all 
our bodily fenfes, efpecially through the 
fenfes of feeing, hearing, and feeling; fo 
that it requires us to be continually upon 
our watch, to check the evil when it firft 
prefents itfelf to our minds, that it may not 
make inroads upon us unawares, and 
fnare our fouls in an evil time* 

Now, O my foul ! confider well upon 
thine immortality — upon the eternity of thy 
exiftence, and thine accountability to thy 
Maker — upon the purity of heaven, and the 
holinefs of God's law. Art thou ufing the 
utmoft of thy ftrength, to walk according 

* Matt. xii. 34. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 147 

to thofe rules of holy living, laid down ? 
Remember, O my foul 1 there is nothing 
unclean can enter into the kingdom of hea- 
ven : let it be the main drift of all thy de- 
fires and thoughts to pleafe God, and live a 
holy and unblamable life ; for how couldeft 
thou bear, after having tailed the fweeinefs 
of redeeming love, to drink of the bitter 
dregs of the cup of fury ? how couldeft thou 
bear, after having fo many comfortable 
forebodings and anticipations of the glories 
of heaven, to be (hut out for ever and to be 
converfant with the groans and forrows of 
the damned? or how couldeft thou bear, 
after having fuch fweet communion with 
the Friend of finners, to hear his voice at 
laft pronouncing the fentence of thine eter- 
nal condemnation, Depart, depart ! Oh that 
thy ears may never be faluted with that 
dreadful found ! then O my foul ! let it e- 
ver be thy bufmefs to work out thy falvati- 
on y with fear and trembling ; flee from fin, 
and live uprightly in the fight of thy Ma- 
ker : holinefs muft be thy object, and hea- 
ven thy landing port ; then hoift the fails of 
thy good refolutions and ardent defires to 
catch the pleafant gales of the Spirit, that 
thou mayeft be fafely wafted onto the fhore 
of immortality and eternal life. 



148 A GUIDE TO 

The deceitful and alluring nature of Sin , with 
its fearful consequences* 

BUT now we come to turn our atten- 
tion to tlvj nature of fin, with its dreadful 
effecls and confequences, both in this world 
and the next, to fee whether it is poffible 
for a man, upon the ground of reafon, to be 
as happy, while under its dominion and in- 
fluence, as one who is forming his life by 
the rules laid down in the foregoing fheets. 

Inafmuch as fin is the offspring of Satan, 
it has completely acquired his art of turning 
into any lhape, at pleafure, as it can bell 
fuit the inclinations of men, and decoy them 
to their own deftrufilion. But although fin 
promifes fair, as the ferpent did in the gar- 
den, it only means to beguile and to cheat 
the fouls of men to their ruin : let it come 
under whatever guife or pretext it may, it is 
all falfehood and delufion ; for as the infpi- 
red penman fpeaks upon another occafion, 
it may be feeminglv fweet in the commiffi- 
on, but at the last it biteth like a serpent, and 
stiri&eth like an adder.* 

Sin is fuch a vain thing, that it cannot 
be forced to contribute to any wife end at 
all : fhame is its only fruit, and all its plea- 

* Prov. xxiii, 32. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 149 

Aires pafs away, comparatively in a mo- 
ment, leaving nothing but forrow and an- 
guifli of Spirit behind them ; as for inftance, 
the fm of revenge : what a bufy and contri- 
ving vice, thrufting itfelf into all the hard- 
fliips of war, imxneriing itfelf in perpetual 
ftorms, and abandoning all peace of mindj 
to its own capricious humours ; the mark it 
aims at, is mifchief, and bitternefs is the 
fruit of all its toil. Alfo ambition, another 
darling offspring of Satan, and the true 
image of him who begat it, is full of migh- 
ty projects, difdains to floop to things low 
or mean, but purfues on with eagernefs, 
through all the paths of human life, in queft 
of fame, and feeds upon the corrupt breath 
of men, viz. applaufe. It is true, igno- 
rance makes thefe out to be great and glori- 
ous things, but only take off the mafe that 
opinion hath put upon them, and what re- 
mains but vanity and emptinefs. 

Surely then, no wife man would hazard 
the eafe and contentment of his own mind, 
in the purfuit of fuch vain glory ; as one ob- 
ferves, " there is no glory like that of an 
honeft and upright mind, and there is no 
applaufe like that of oujr own confciences." 
Then he who quits the joy of an honeft 
mind, and of a good confcience, for the 
N 2 



150 A GUIDE TO 

glories of the world, is leaving a lading 
happinefs, to follow after a phantom ; for 
all this, what difficulties do men chufe to 
undergo, only to be loaded with heavier for- 
rows and tormented with greater fears ? 

In like manner, all the pains and paffions 
of the proud and covetous, are fpent upon 
things that they can neither want, when 
they have them not, nor enjoy when they 
have them ; for one man generally drives 
to get as much as would be fufficient for 
ten ; and the trouble of holding the fuper- 
fluity, deprives him of a proper enjoyment 
of his own Ihare, for all that a man has 
above that which fupplies the neceflities of 
nature,- minifters no more to his happinefs 
than a dream of the night: all the fatisfac- 
tion he has from them, is merely in idea, 
becaufe earthly happinefs does not refult* 
from a man's poffefiing, but enjoying the 
good things of the world ; therefore, unlefs 
he could extend his appetites with his for- 
tune, he only increafes trouble with his 
plenty ; for lie that maketh haste to be rich 
shall not be innocent^ And as the wife 
man fays concerning knowledge, fo we may 
fay of riches, he that increaseth (riehes) 
increaseth sorrow; and, fays he, xvhat 

* Prov. xxviii. 20. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 151 

good is there to the owners thereof sa- 
ving the beholding of them with their eyes s* 1 
fo idle and fruitlefs are all the fchemes and 
labours of ambition and covetoufnefs, the 
foolifh man is fo unlucky as to break his 
fleep, confume his fpirits, rack his brains, 
and employ all his fkill to no purpofe, and 
after all his toil and fw£at, is no eafier or 
more contented than he was before. 

Vice is an impofture and delufion, it flat- 
ters men with the greateft expectations of 
good, it dances before the eyes of their im- 
aginations, like an ignis fatuus, while it 
leads their unwary fouls aflray, and in the 
end produces nothing but grief and vexati- 
on of heart ; it defeats and undermines all 
its own projects, and always concludes in 
disappointment, like the harlot in the Pro- 
verbs,'}' who inveigles with the wanton kif- 
fes of her lips, and draws the filly youth af- 
ter her, like a fool to the correction of the 
stocks ; her houfe is perfumed and her bed 
is decked with tapcfhy, but all this while 
it is the way to hell, going doxvn to the chant' 
bers of death, fuch an impudent and wanton 
monfter is fin, its temptations dazzle the 
minds of men with counterfeit beauties, it 
comes with all its fmooth and amorous ad* 

* Eccl. v. 11. t Prov. vii. 16. 22. 27. 



152 A GUIDE TO 

dreffes, but in the mean while is nothing 
but a painted ferpent, which we no fooner 
take into our bofoms than we feel its inve- 
nomed fling ; it lays the moft deadly galhes 
in our conferences, and infects all the pre- 
fent joys of human life ; for there is no 
vice, but whatfome curfe or other is intail- 
ed upon : intemperance is generally punifh- 
ed with difeafes — ralhnefs, with difappoint- 
ments — injuftice, with violence of enemies 
— and pride with mortifications ; thefe and 
fuch like are frequently the puniftiments an- 
nexed to any breach of the moral law, even 
in this world. 

The more effectually to decoy and de- 
ceive us, fin often affumes another name to 
keep out of view its own native deformity, 
although it always retains the fame diabol- 
ical nature ; as it does not with to bear its 
own titles, under fome hypocritical pretence 
or other, it affects to appear in the fern- 
blance, and willies to be called by the name 
of fome virtue ; hence pvide is called decen- 
cy — covetoufnefs, frugality — extravagance, 
generofity — a domineering cruelty, bravery 
—levity, chearfulnefs — and gambling, dan- 
cing, and the like, innocent mirth : this is 
the manner of Satan's baiting his hook, 
when he is angling for fouls ; he does not 
chufe to fliow the deformed nature of fin, 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 153 

but cafls a veil over its ugly appearance, and 
burnifhes it up to attract and allure the eyes 
of the beholder. 

But if couching itfelf under thefe differ- 
ent names, will not anfwer the purpofe, 
vice will try to perfuade us that it is a pri- 
vilege which God indulges men with. It 
infmuates, why hath God given you thefe 
appetites, if you are not to indulge them ; 
yea, and to give the more weight to thefe 
fuggeftions, it frequently quotes fcripture ; 
it is good for a man to eat, drink (and be 
merry) and to enjoy the good of all his la~ 
fours, that he taketh under the sun all the 
days of his life, "which God giveth him, for 
it is his portion :* but fin, or Satan, its pro- 
genitor, always mifconftrues and puts a 
falfe glofs upon thofe paffages ; eating does 
not imply gluttony, or drinking intoxicati- 
on ; or elfe Solomon muft have been very 
inconfiftent with himfelf, to recommend 
thofe vices here, and in other places to de« 
liver fuch curfes and anathemas againft 
them: fays he, be not among zvine-bibbers, a- 
mong riottris eaters offiesh, for the drunk- 
ard and the glutton shall come to poverty, and 
drowsiness shall clothe a man xvith rags ."j* 
being merry does not imply levity, but is 

*Eccl. v, 18. t Prov. xxiii. 20, 2i. 



154 A GUIDE TO 

any merry, let htm sing psalms.* And 
thofe vitiated appetites, God did not give 
to men, they were made fo by the intro- 
duction of fin into the world. 

Thus if fin cannot impofe itfelf upon us 
by force and power, or by its deceit or cun- 
ning, or its fictitious names ; or cannot 
make us believe it to be a privilege, yet it 
will juftify itfelf from fome favourable pre- 
text., cover itfelf up under fome pro- 
bable circumftance, and find an excufe for 
its worft aclions by the difference of time or 
place ; fometimes by meafure and degree, 
and fometimes by mode and manner: to 
cheat, that we may infure a livelihood — to 
lie, that we may avoid fome greater evil 
that might come upon us, if we were to 
fpeak the truth : yea, it pleads up that as 
long as we are in the world, we mult do as 
the world does ; but it may be well for us to 
flop here and confider, that the cuftom or 
failiion of others can never juftify or tole- 
rate the commiffion of any evil, neither 
does it make any finneceffary, for if a thou- 
fand are fools enough around us~, to burn 
their hands off in the fire, that is no reafon 
why we fhould do the fame ; God has not 
put it into the power of one man, to preclom- 

* Jam. v. 13. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 155 

inate over the confcience of another, for if 
we ihould live under the moll defpotic go- 
vernment, and arbitrary laws that ever ex- 
ifted," they could only kill the body, and af- 
ter that, have no more that they can do ;* 
but never can, without our own confent, 
force us to commit the leaft evil. 

Thus vice always makes fome plea in 
juftification ofitfelf, and changes its form 
to fuit the humours of men ; and no mar- 
vel, for Satan himself is transformed into 
an angel of light :\ fo then Satan is impo- 
ling one lin after another upon men, till 
their whole fouls, from the crown of the 
head to the foles of their feet, are covered 
over with wounds and putrifying fores ; 
while their thoughts within them, are like 
the troubled ocean zvhen it cannot rest, 
whose waves cast up mire and dirt.% 

Sin has not only occafioned thofe roar- 
ings and gripings of confcience which men 
feel, while under its tyrannical yoke, but it 
has diforganized nature, and introduced 
confufion into the fy ft em of the univerfe ; 
it fets neighbours, kingdoms, and families 
at variance with each other , it prompts 
men to murders, robberies, thefts, and va- 

* Luke. xii. 4. t 2 C° r « xi. 14. 

| Ifai. Ivii. 20. 



156 A GUIDE TO 

rious acts of injuftice : if we attend crimi- 
nal courts, or the execution of malefactors 
— if we turn our eyes to dungeons and pri- 
fons, and behold human beings loaded 
with chains ; then vifit Lazar-houfes and 
bedlams, and furvey thefe fpedtacles of 
mifery in thofe different fcenes — if we view 
armies advancing towards each other in all 
their martial grandeur, and hear the dread- 
ful roaring of their cannon, the clafhing 
of their fvvords, and the groans of the dy- 
ing, in the field of battle ; and fee the effu- 
fion of human blood, with all the diffoluti- 
on of nations and countries laid wafle, men 
deprived of their property and privileges 
—relations fnatched from each others arms 
— huibands from their wives — and parents 
from their children — and children from 
their parents, falling victims to cruel ava- 
rice ; and many who are not (lain by the 
fword, reduced to the moll abjecSt poverty ; 
and others to a fervile flavery, under cruel 
taik-mafters, or baniflied from their own 
native country into fome diftant land, there 
to wafte and pine away the poor remains of 
life, among ilrangers, deflitute of the prin- 
ciples of humanity. From all thefe views, 
we can difcover in a fmall degree, what 
havoc fin has made in the world. 



TRUE HAPPINESS* 157 

But in addition to this, if we attend the 
beds of the fick, and liften to their moans 
and complaints, and fee the various disor- 
ders that infe6l human nature — if we go 
through the charnel grounds or church yards, 
and confider the bodies therein depofited, 
fome of ancient, and fome of recent date ; 
fome who died in the bloom of youth, and 
fome in decripedold age : but if we not only 
view the depradations made upon our bo- 
dies, liberties, or eitates, but the mental 
perturbations, the poignant grief and for- 
rows attendant upon all theie calamities, 
fome bereaved of their fenfes, others in all 
the terrors of black defpair, crying out like 
Chalner, torture, torture, torture ! fome 
in thefe fits of frenzy, playing the dreadful 
game of fuicide, and putting an end to their 
wretched exiftence in this life, while others 
are brought to the verge of death, with 
their eyes wide ftaring into the frightful 
gulf of horror and defpair, without one ray 
of hope, or one pleafmg view of God's ap- 
probation, they are forced to tread the dark 
valley and fhadow of death alone, without 
any kind hand to guide them through ; they 
jiow have the painful reflection of leaving 
the world with every thing they have fo 
fiddly doted upon : where are the fafcinating 

p 



158 A GUIDE TO 

charms of fin now ? where are thofe fvveet 
morfels fled ? where now are thofe good and 
glorious things which fin gave them fuch 
high expe6lations of? 

Jnftead of gaining any thing, they have 
met with the lofs of every thing; their rich- 
es, honours, and pleafures, with all their 
near and dear friends, have taken their 
leave of them at once ; and, who is that 
they behold ? what fpe6lre, what fearful 
fhape coming towards them with a mena- 
cing look, and filling them with terror? 
Ah ! it is he who allured them to vice, and 
gave them fuch high hopes beyond the 
grave ; he now comes to be an executioner 
of the divine vengeance, to chain them 
down in eternal confinement. Oh ! Satan, 
Oh! fin, how wretchedly have ye deluded 
them; into what an afayfs of mifery have 
they plunged themfelvesfor ever, by heark- 
ening to your lies. 

But if we were to go on further, obferv- 
ing the effe6ls and confluences of fin, and 
could fee the infernal manfions difclofed to 
view, with all the miferies, plagues and 
chains of the damned ; the hopelennefs of 
their ftate, the eternity of their punifliment, 
and the greatnefs of their torment ; now if 
we come toaferious view of all thefe effefis # 
and confequences of fin together, how can 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 159 

we feel ourfelves happy, while we harbour 
fuch a definitive principle in our hearts : 
we have been fetting forth the treacherous, 
deceitful, and deteftable nature of fin, that 
thole who wiih to walk in the way to hap- 
pinefs hereafter, may be aware of its fnares, 
and alfo that others may be led from view- 
ing its devilifh defigns and ends, to forfake 
all its paths, and feek for true happinefs, 
which is only to be found in a freedom 
from fin. 

But, in order to give a clearer idea of 
the difference between one who is walking 
in the way to heaven, which we have alrea- 
dy defcribed, and one who is following the 
perverfe inclinations of his own heart, and 
walking in the broad way to deftruclion ; 
we ill all draw out the wicked man's cha- 
racter. 

A short View of the wicked Man's Character, 
with a serious Admonition to all who know 
not God. 

THE ungodly man is ferving the vi- 
left of matters, doing the filthieft of drudg- 
eries, and acting from the bafeft of princi- 
ples, viz. pride, infidelity, prefumption, 
and ingratitude ; he is performing the black- 
eft of deeds, and under the moft fertile fla- 



160 A GUIDE T3 

very to fin and the devil ; his foul is defi- 
led, his conference is guilty, his heart is 
pained, and the paffions of his mind, b^r 
times, are wrought up into the higheft 
pitch of terror ; fo that his mind is truly 
like a troubled fea which cannot reft. And 
how can it be otherwife, when by his tranf- 
greffions, he has introduced fo much dif- 
cord into the creation of God ; the Almigh- 
ty himfelf is againft him, his flaming juftice 
is like a fword unfheathed againft him, his 
vengeance is like a cloud hovering over 
him, only waiting the hour of death, and 
then it will be wrapped around his foul like 
a garment. 

As he has introduced diforder into this 
lower world, the very creation is againft 
him, for the ground was cursed for his 
sake;* and fays the apofile, the whole crea- 
tion groaneth and tr aval let h inpain\ in con- 
fequence of his fin ; and we have reafon to 
conjecture that if God would give them 
leave, they would cry out againft him, as 
an intolerable burden to them, and foon 
rid themfelves of him ; the earth would fwal- 
low him' up, as it did Corah, Dathan, and 
Abiram ;J or whirlwinds would catch him 

* Gen. iii. 17. f Rom. viii. 22. 

f Num. xvi. 31, 32. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 161 

up and dafh him upon fome flinty rock in 
the midft of the waters, where he would 
meet with fpeedy deftruclion ; or volcanos 
would burft out of the earth and confume, 
or the lightnings from heaven would flay 
him as they did Job's cattle ; or elfe a de- 
luge of waters would drown him, as it did 
the old world of the ungodly. 

Such a man cannot look over one leaf of 
God's books of creation, providence, or re- 
velation, but what he feels himfelf condemn- 
ed ; for the creation and providences of God 
loudly preach to him his ingratitude ; and 
God's word is like Ezekiel's roll to him, 
written full of lamentations , and mournings 
and zuoe :* the old teftament binds a heavy 
curfe upon every one that continueth not in 
all things, which are written in the book of 
the law, todo them,\ and the gofpel of the 
new covenant fills its mouth with thunders 
and damnation againfl all who do not be- 
lieve in Chrift, the Saviour of the world ; 
and befide all this, the Spirit of God, 
chriftians, and chriftian minifters, are ad- 
moni fhing him of his miferable (late and 
fearful end ; affii6lions come in like a flood 
upon him, oft-times he is filled with acute 
O 2 

* Eze. ii. 10. f Gal. ill 10. 



162 A GUIDE TO 

pain, death {lands menacing him with all 
hjs terrors ; and before him is reprefented 
a loathfome grave, where his body which 
he has indulged and fed fo delicioufly, mud 
be a prey for worms and putrefaction, and 
hell from beneath is moving to meet him at 
his coming ;* yea, hell hath enlarged herself 
and opened her mouth without measure^ 
ready to receive the poor quivering foul as 
foon as ever it is diilodged from this mor- 
tal tenement. 

To view this man through the whole 
courfe of his life, you fee nothing that bears 
the leaft refemblance to happinefs, and yet 
it may be he boafts himfelf of being one of 
the happy ones of the earth : true, he is li- 
ving a kind of dreaming life; fin, like an 
opiate, has lulled his foul into a profound 
lleep, only once in a while when God's ad- 
monifhing voice roufes him from his fupine 
ftate. Alas ! this happinefs he is dreaming 
about, how much is it beneath the dignity 
of a human foul ; the greater part of his 
pleafures are merely brutifh, and there are 
none of them that can afford him any rati- 
onal fatisfa6tton in his reflecting moments. 

And view his profpecls beyond the grave, 
they are dreary at bed, he is left toadread- 

* Ifai. xiv. 9. t Kai. y. 14. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 163 

ful uncertainty with refpect to his future 
fiate, fo that he is ready to fay, in the lan- 
guage of the poet, 

<c Thou mun: expire, my foul ! ordain'd to range^ 
Through unvxperienc'd fcenes, and myft'ries ! 

itrange, f 

Dark the event, and difmal the exchange ! J 
But when compell'd to leave this houfe of clay, 
And to an unknown ibme where wing thy way, 
When time fhali be eternity, and thou ""j 

Shalt be thou know'ft not what, nor where, nor J 

how, { 

Trembling and pale, what wilt thou fee or do ?"" J 

But although his future ft ate may be an un- 
certainty to his incredulous mind, yet if 
God's holy word is to be believed, it is no un- 
certainty at all ; for it is there declared in ex- 
prefs words, that the wicked shall be turned 
into hell,* and that the same shall drink of 
the zvine of the wrath of God xvhich is pour- 
ed out without mixture into the cup of his 
indignation — and the smoke of their torment 
shell ascend up for ever and ever.\ 

Then, O man ! as fure as God lives, and 
thy foul lives, whoever thou art, who liveft 
in fin, thou wilt find at laft that fin will be a 
bitter thing, whatever thou mayeft think 

* Pfal. ix. 17. f Rev, xiv. 9. 1 U 



164 A GUIDE TO 

of it now — the wages of sin is death,* both 
temporal and eternal: the idea of temporal 
death is very mocking, as a certain Philofo- 
pher obferves, " Of all terrible things, death 
is the mod terrible." To think of the vital 
principle being extinguifhed, which unites 
foul and body together ; and the body and 
fpirit, who have been companions for fuch a 
length of time, to be torn afunder, never 
to meet again till the great day of the re- 
furrection ; and this body to be a putrid car- 
cafe, with all its wonderful organs ; the in- 
ftruments of fenfation and motion to be 
entirely out of tune ; with all its boafted 
agility, to be motionlefs in the grave ; with 
all its beauteous form and complexion to 
be a loathfome lump of corruption, and 
at length turned into earth again, from 
whence it was taken. But the death of the 
foul is far more dreadful, to be feparated 
irom God's fmiles — to be continually under 
his frowns — to be bammed from heaven- — 
from the refidence of the blefied— from the 
company of angels and the fpirits ofnhe 
juft — and God's wrath, like a river of brim- 
stone, continually pouring down upon 
them ; where their worm dieth not, and the 
fire is not quenched.^ It is called by fonie 

* Rom. vi. 23. t Mark ix. 46. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 165 

a living death, and a dying life ; it is an ex- 
iftence where they are always in the agonies 
of death, but never have the fatisfaction of 
expiring; while myriads of ages are rolling 
around, their pains will only be beginning; 
and when millions of millions more are 
added, their miferies will be no nearer 
concluded than when they firft began. 

° Never ! where falls the foul at that dread found, 
Down an abyfs how dark, and how profound i 
Down, down, I (Vill am falling I horrid pain ! 
Ten thouiand thoufand fathoms ftill remain J' f 



Figure out to thyfelf, fmner, that thou now 
fee ft one of thy neighbours, who lived a 
few years ago by thee, as merry and as fpor- 
tive as thyfelf, lying in thofe flames, tor- 
mented with the never-dying fling of death, 
writhing his foul about, wringing his hands, 
curfing God, and looking up. 

u Where fhrieks, the roaring flame, the rattling 

chain, 
And ail the dreadful eloquence of pain, 
His only fong ! black fire's malignant light, 
The fole refremment of his blafted fight 1" 

and in this ftate wifhing for annihilation, to 
put an end to his mifery ; but no relief can 



166 A GUIDE TO 

be found, and at the fame time crying out 
in language like this — 

u Juft is my lot, but oh ! muft it tranfcend 
The reach of time ? defpair a diftant end ? 
With dreadful growth (hoot forward, and arife 
Where thought can't follow, and bold fancy 
dies !" 

And if thou wert to confider, at the fame 
time, that thou thyfelf art every moment in 
danger of the fame torment ; realize it as 
thy own condition : thy life is at flake, thy 
moments are fleeing away, thy foul is fuf- 
pended from falling into this hell, only by 
a (lender thread, what ft licity canft thou en- 
joy here, or what happinefs canft thou pro- 
mife thyfelf hereafter? furely if thou wert 
to confider, thou haft nothing to yield thee 
one ray of comfort. 

Then, O fmner, who readeft thefe lines, 
escape for thy life, look not behind thee, nei- 
ther stay thou in all the plain, escape least 
thou be consumed /* Time is rolling away, 
God is calling upon thee, death is urging, 
heaven is inviting, hell is threatening, and 
God's word is opening its mouth in the 
moft malterly arguments, to perfuade thee. 
Methinks every thing around thee might 

* Gen, xix. 17. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 167 

preach to thee the neceflity of giving thy 
heart to God. There is nothing that thou 
eateft, drinkeft, or weareft, but what might 
preach to thee the great leffon of gratitude^ 
and every minute, hour, and day, that thou 
liveft, might declare unto thee the long-fuf- 
fering and tender mercy of thy Maker, if 
thou wouldeft only incline thine ear to their 
admonifiiing voice. How canft thou ever 
think of the great goodnefs of God in giv- 
ing his only-begotten Son to die for thee I 
how canft thou think of his amazing con- 
defceniion? of his meeknefs and lowlinefs? 
of his temptations and afflictions? and of 
his bloody death and paffion ? How canft 
thou fancy to thyfelf, that thou heareft his 
folemn groans, which caufed nature to make, 
and the rocks to rend 1 and that thou feeft 
the fable curtain of night drawn over the 
earth! the fun veiling hi mfelf in darknefs, 
without an ordinary eclipfe I and the won- 
dering hofts {landing around ! and fome of 
them exclaiming, truly this was the Son of 
Godl^ and when thou called to thy view" 
the trickling blood and the flamed raiment 
of the dear Redeemer ; when thou fancieft 
that thou feeft that bleffed head reclining 
upon his facred bofom, and he giving up 

* Matt, xxvii. 54. 



168 A GUIDE TO 

the ghoft ! and that thou heareft that lafi 
agonizing groan, that not only caufed an- 
gels to wonder, but pierced into the regions 
of Tartarus itfelf, and moved all hell with 
terror ! how canft thou think of the inter- 
eeffion of Jefus Chrift with his Father ! that 
thou haft not lived one moment, only in 
virtue of his pleadings! — canft thou think 
of all thefe things, as a rational being, and 
as one that has a fpark of gratitude in thee, 
and at the fame time be abufing that good- 
nefs, which continually upholds thee I If 
God were to let go his hand, and no longer 
fupport thee, whither wouldft thou fink. 

O man what doft thou build thy hopes of 
happinefs upon? what canft thou promife 
thyfelf here, while God himfelf is angry 
with thee, and while his flaming juftice is 
burning againft thee ; and what doft thou 
promife thyfelf beyond the grave? Behold, 
is not thy journey into eternity dark and 
dreary to thee ; or doft thou, a poor tiny 
particle of duft, think that thou canft con- 
tend with Jehovah ? Hast thou an arm like 
God? or canst thou thunder -with a voice like 
him?* or doft thou think thy ftrength firm 
enough to fuftain the (hock of divine ven- 
geance ? what ftaff of a broken r^jed is it 

* Job xl. 9. 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 169 

that thou art leaning upon for help? wilt 
thou fet the dry ftubble in battle with vhe 
fire? Why I tell thee man, the fire will 
devour it at once ; thou art no more before 
God than the dry leaf before a furious whirl- 
wind; then how doft thou expeel to meet 
the Almighty, when he shall roar out of 
Zion, and utter his voice from ^Jerusalem, 
and the heavens and the earth shall shake;* 
canft thou ft and up and plead thy own cause, 
and defend it againft the demands of divine 
juftice ? or canft thou bribe the judge by 
filver and gold ? or what dependence haft 
thou ? canft thou then look at the day of 
reckoning with delight? or canft thou glance 
thine eyes down into the flames of hell with- 
out feeling any w r ays concerned about it ? 
canft thou hear the dreadful roarings of 
God's thundering juftice there, or the crack* 
ling of those livid flames, and think of the 
worm that dieth not^ and the unquenchable 
fire of his wrath, and feel pleafure in the 
anticipation of them ? or canft thou think 
with any degree of delight, that in a very 
few days hence thou shalt be feeling all the 
realities of that torment thou haft heard 
described, and much more than the tongue 
P 

* Joel iii. 16. 



170 A GUIDE TO 

or pen of man is able to defcribe ; that thou 
fhalt be grappling with an enraged omnipo- 
tence, and ftruggling with incenfed venge- 
ance ? that thou ihalt be as miferable as the 
wrath of a fin-avenging God, and the fury 
of awful devils can make thee? that thou 
lhalt begin thy employment of wailing and 
gnafhing of teeth, and this to laft as long 
as eternity endures. 

And if thou thinkefl on heaven, what 
greater fatisfaclion canft thou have in con- 
templating thofe brilliant thrones, that daz- 
zling fplendour, that blooming paradife, 
thofe ambrofial fields, and the happy throng 
who are furrounding the throne of God, 
than in viewing the regions of the damned ; 
for the greater view thou haft of heaven and 
its glory, the greater mifery thou {houldeft 
feel as a rational creature, at the thought of 
being excluded from it forever. Thou haft 
no more reafon to feel happy in the contem- 
plation of heaven, than thou haft in the 
contemplation of hell; for as thou art un- 
holy thou haft no title for that happy place ; 
and if it were poffible for thee to enter there 
in thy prefent ftate, thou couldft have no 
fatisfa6lion for the found of their eternal 
hallelujahs, and the fight of their pure and 
fpiritual worfhip and enjoyment, would 
only increafe thy mifery j for thou doft not 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 171 

delight in thefe things upon earth, and what 
reafon halt thou to believe that thou wouldft 
delight in them in heaven, admitting that 
thou remained as thou art in thy unchanged 
Hate. This may (hew the neceffity of con- 
verfion, or a change of heart ; for it is not 
the place that makes us happy, but our fit- 
nefs or qualification to enjoy it. Thou canft 
not take any of thy carnal pleafures there ; 
no jelling, no idle talking with merry com- 
panions there, no theatres, no balls, and no 
fuch diverlions as thou delighted in here. 
And on the other hand if thou goeft to hell, 
there will not be one merry tale told there 
to allay thv grief, and no bowls of grog, 
nor bottles of wine to drown thy forrows, 
no harlot's houfes to run to, and no flefh to 
pamper and indulge. 

Here in this world thou canft laugh thy 
cares and fears away, and thou canft make 
thyfelf merry in talking about hell and dam- 
nation, and perfecuting and deriding thofe 
poor enthuiiafts (as thou art pleafed to call 
them) who are fo careful to avoid it, by 
leading holy and religious lives ; but when 
thou goeft to hell, thy tone will be turned ; 
no laughing there at the flames of hell, or 
mocking of God^s people : there thy ftub- 
born and proud heart will be broken with 



172 A GUIDE TO 

grief and vexation, and all thy jeerings come 
to an end. 

Then tremble O man, before the mighty 
God of Jacob, and fly to him for mercy, 
and if thou haft not taken fufficient notice 
of the fteps pointed out in the foregoing 
parts of this work, to obtain happinefs, turn 
back thofe leaves and read again, and make 
thyfelf acquainted with what thy happinefs 
confifts in : and know that except ye be con- 
verted, and become as little children, ye shall 
not enter into the kingdom of heaven:* and 
except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
kingdom of God.\ Then without converfion 
there is no true happinefs, and if thou haft 
not regeneration in time, thou wilt have no 
falvation, and living and dying without jus- 
tification, thou art fure of damnation. Lay 
this well to thy heart, and away with the 
dirty fcraps or filthy rags of thine own 
rtghteoufnefs ; come ftripped of every vain 
exeufe, throw afide all thy ill-grounded objec- 
tions, and fue for pardon and falvation, in 
and through Chrift the Redeemer of the 
world and Saviour of loft finners. 

I now call upon thee by all that is good 
and gracious, by all the incommunicable 
attributes of God, by his truth and immu- 

* Matt, xviii. S. f J°hn hi. 3. 



TRUE HAPPINESS, 173 

tability, and by the unfearchable riches and 
love of Chrift, by all the wooings and be- 
feechingsof the Holy Ghoft,by all the dying 
groans of a Saviour, and by the goodnefs 
and long fuffering of a God towards fmner; 
yea, I call upon thee by all the curfes from 
Mount Ebal, by all the bleffings from 
Mount Gerizim*, or by the fiery law pro- 
claimed in thunder from heaven, and bv 
the gofpel of peace brought down to men 
by the Son of God, by the glories of heaven, 
the fatisfaclion of angels, and the joy of the 
fpirits ofjuft men made perfect, and by all the 
horrors of hell, by the heights above, and 
the depths beneath, by all thefe I call upon 
thee to make thy happinefs fure now whilft 
thou mayeft, for the day is haftening on faft, 
when thefe opportunities will be forever 
gone, refolve now upon the fpot, and give 
Chrift thy heart. If thou wilt turn 1 will 
be the meffenger of good tidings to thee, 
for God -was in Christ reconciling the world 
unto himself, not imputing their trespasses 
unto thern:j in the day that thou turned 
from them and repented of them, they fhall 
be remembered no more, for I have no plea- 
P2 

* Deut. xxvii. 12, 13. t 2 Cor. v. 19. 



174 A GUIDE TO 

sure in the death of him that dieth, salth the 
Lord God:* turn ye, turn ye, from your 
evil ways, for why will ye die, house of 
Israel:\ but if thou perfift unto the end, 
in thine iniquities, I tell thee from the 
authority of God's word, that if omnipo- 
tence himfelf is able to damn thee, thou 
ihalt be perfectly miferable in both body and 
foul for ever, for he that believeth not shall 
he damned:^ and except ye repent, ye shall 
all likewise perish.\\ 

If thou wilt not believe this, but flili 
cleave to thy fins, thou wilt by and by ex- 
perience the truth of thefe words, and that 
will be a great deal worfe than hearing of 
them. O wilt thou be perfuaded to lhew 
fome pity to thine own poor foul ! thy un- 
worthy friend who is now addrefling thee 
in this fmall treatife, feels his very heart 
pained for thee ; if it were poffible he could 
dip his pen in tears of blood, and write to 
thee to fliew thee the anxiety of his heart 
on thine account. O that God might draw 
thee with cords of a man, as with bands of 
love,** and lead thee to the fountain that 
was opened to the house of David, and to the 
inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin, and for 

* Ezek. xviii. S2. f Ezek.xxxiii. 11. 

\ Mark xvi. 1G. || Luke xiii. 3. **Hof. xi. 4. 



TltUE HAPPINESS. 175 

uncleanness* O that thou mighteft come 
and tafte fome of the happinefs, that thou 
haft only as yet heard of by the hearing of 
the ear! Come hade away poor captive ex- 
ile, drciiv nigh to God, and he -will draw 
nigh to tbecf I hold up the crucified Lamb 
of God before thee ; believe on the Lord 
Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved^ 

Some concluding Remarks* 

Now before we come to a clofe, I (hall 
make a few remarks, and reader, I appeal 
to thee, as a rational man or woman, to 
determine whether the perfon who is walk- 
ing according to the rules laid down in the 
foregoing part of this treatife, is not abund- 
antly happier, than this latter character de- 
fcribed, who is under the power and influ- 
ence of fin, that deftru6live principle. The 
man that is living after the fleih, may, and 
often does feel a momentary fatisfa6iion in 
the gratification of his carnal delires, but 
alas! all this happinefs is only brutifh ; for 
what pleafure can he have in reflection, ei- 
ther upon his paft life, or upon futurity; 
but that a life may be truly happy, it muft 

* Zech. xiii. 1. t Jam, iv. 2. 

\ A&s xvi. 31. 



176 A GUIDE TO 

bare retrofpeftion, afford prefent enjoy- 
ment, and withall an anticipation of futuri- 
ty. Well this is the life of a righteous man, 
he can look back with delight (and even if 
he is lying upon a death bed) upon time well 
fpent; and in the mean time he can feel joy 
in his own foul, like a well of living water. 
He can look forward into eternity, and 
anticipate the happinefs that is referved for 
him at God's right hand. Not fo with the 
ungodly ; he looks back upon his paft life 
with regret, looks forward into eternity 
with horror, and the very retro fpect of the 
one, and foreboding of the other, effectu- 
ally damps and puts an end to all his prefent 
joys. 

From this view the wicked man would 
have no comfort at all. If he were to give 
way to reflection, even his greateft comforts 
would be a fource of mifery to him ; for 
very frequently, when we are enjoying any 
thing which we know will lait but a very little 
time ; our enjoyment is nearly all deftroyed, 
bv anticipating the fhortnefs of its duration, 
and the greater delight we take in the ob- 
ject, the more we are pained at the thought 
of being fo foon parted from it. And if 
we were to conlider that thefe fine ceiled 
houfes, and our other comfortable accom- 
modations in life, will foon be fnatched away 



TRUE HAPPINESS. 177 

from us or we from them ; this would damp 
all our joys, efpecially if we are fetting our 
affe6Hons on them, and placing too much of 
our happinefs in them. 

So that the wicked man can have no 
peace only in the blinding of his eyes to all 
his pall follies, and to a future ftate ; and 
like a beaft, indulging himfelf in nothing 
but fenfual gratifications ; and the idea of 
this is terrible alfo. If he would only flop 
and confider for a moment, for although 
he is blinding his own eyes, and {hutting 
them againft the light. His judgment now 
of a long time linger eth not, and his dam- 
nation slumber eth not* And the blinder 
he keeps himfelf, the greater will be his 
furprife when deftru6tion cometh upon him, 
as an armed man.-\ O that men would con- 
fider what a fearful thing it is< to fall into 
the hands of the living GW.J 



* 2 Pet. ii. 3. f Prov. vi. 11, 

i Heb. x. 31. 



THE END- 



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